Devil May Cry: Family Reunion
by Dragongod Eclipsen
Summary: After a long day of demon slaying, Dante relaxes in his office. As he prepares to collapse in bed, the phone rings. What he hears on the other end disturbs him. (Set post DMC4, Pre DMC5)
1. The Call

The run down part of the city boomed with activity, though not the friendly type.

Gunshots, inhuman roars and fleshy slicing sounds rang through the streets as Dante the devil slayer made his way back to his shop.

Dante swung Rebellion madly, something he didn't do often. His attacks were normally styled and smooth, but today was just too long for his taste.

His already crimson clothing was drenched with the blood of various demons who had come out of their hiding holes to attack him, despite it being mid day.

Now the sun was disappearing over the horizon, meaning that more powerful devils would emerge to make attempts on the demon slayer's life.

Dante growled as he unloaded what would've been twelve clips from Ivory into an approaching demon before dashing down the street.

Right now, his top priority was reaching his office. Thanks to Trish the Devil May Cry was outfitted with demon repelling sigils, giving Dante the chance to relax after a long day of demon slaying.

Dante watched as another demon fell to the ground, writhing in it's death throes. Between growls Dante heard some distorted words which he paid no heed to.

He had already heard the phrase nearly two hundred times in the same day, repeated at least once by every demon he had killed.

"Where is the son of Sparda?"

Another demon wailed in the middle of another street. Dante didn't care, only focusing on getting to his office.

He dashed past the street the devil was raging in, making a beeline for the shop. He quickly swerved to the right as a large claw carved into the wall next to him.

Dante acted swiftly, drawing Ebony and unloading fifteen bullets into the offending creature before continuing his sprint.

He heard the demon fall to the ground as he ran, but it didn't really matter to him.

Another demon erupted from the ground a few feet in front of the devil slayer, roaring as it emerged from the concrete.

"Where is the son of Spar-"

The creature was cut off as Dante holstered Ebony and drew Rebellion, embedding the claymore into the shoulder of the demon in one clean movement.

The devil was not deterred by the wound and pushed back against the blade in it's body.

Dante twisted the weapon and it emitted a loud hissing sound, reflecting it's master's frustration.

"Big mistake buddy. I'm really not in the mood!"

Dante ripped Rebellion from the devil's shoulder and wound back farther than was normally needed before unleashing the full force of his demonic frustration.

The area shook as Dante Triggered, sending the demon flying due to both the force of the trigger and the blade colliding with it's jaw.

The demon sputtered as it met a stone wall at the speed of a steam train, forcing it's spine from it's body and breaking every other bone.

Dante sheathed Rebellion and restarted his marathon sprint. He didn't even bother to deactivate his Trigger, as it would act as a repellant to any other demons.

And it seemed to work perfectly, allowing the devil hunter to make his way back to the Devil May Cry with relative ease.

The door of the shop exploded inward as Dante kicked it open before rushing in and slamming it shut.

He then proceeded to collapse on the floor, his Devil Trigger failing and reducing his form to normal.

He laid there a long stretch of time, even nodding off a few times despite the weapons digging into his back.

He couldn't get over how the demons kept demanding a son of Sparda.

He had been standing right in front of them, and they didn't seem to care. Some of them even ignored him, which was a rarity in of itself.

Eventually the stink of demon blood invaded Dante's nose and he levered himself off the floor in order to shower and wash his clothes to within an inch of their lives.

He contemplated calling for pizza, but that would end up getting the pizza guy, also known as Rob, murdered. He was going to have to deal with microwave food tonight.

Dante nearly melted in relief as he showered, making full use of the plastic chair he had moved into the bathroom for lack of a bathtub.

Trish had reprimanded him for his use of it back when he was depressed, but he found new respect for the plastic chair now that he wasn't in such a dark place.

After he had washed his skin of the demon blood, he threw his clothes into the washer and turned it to the "Apocalypse" setting.

Another perk of being a demon slayer is that he had the luck of killing a water demon, giving him a free possessed washing machine that had two extra levels of washing.

He just made sure to warn Patty not to touch it during her stay at the shop.

Now that he thought about it, Dante missed the little blonde. He would never openly admit it though.

The office felt empty now that Patty had gone off to live with one of her orphange friends, finding Dante's place too old timey for her.

Off course she thanked Dante and left him a few gifts that were too pink for his taste.

But now the shop was just quiet, save for when Dante felt lively and turned on the jukebox.

Dante watched as his clothes spun around in the washing machine at speeds that would shake apart normal washing machines. He grinned as he remembered the name of the demon washer, Alpheus.

Dante left his clothes to clean, instead retrieving some cup ramen from the pantry and putting it in the microwave. As he waited for the food to finish heating, he walked into the main office and sat in his chair.

The old wooden chair creaked a bit as Dante put his full weight on it. The old thing needed to be spruced up, but Dante was too lazy to learn how to fix old year '87 chairs.

He leaned back in the chair, taking up his usual leaned back feet on table position, sighing in relief.

He didn't even get up when the microwave dinged. He was just too tired to move.

He sat for a while, simply staring at the ceiling fan that spun slowly in the air. He felt more lonely today than he normally did, but it was nothing compared to when he was depressed.

He closed his eyes, preparing to just spend the night at his desk. That was until the phone rang loudly.

Dante jumped as the sound met his ears, ripping him from his stupor and putting him on high alert.

He gripped Rebellion, which he had leaned on the desk before pinpointing the source of the noise. He glared at the phone as he let go of Rebellion.

He lifted the receiver from it's resting place and moved it to his ear.

"Sorry, we're closed. Call back later."

He spoke with a little more venom in his voice than he meant before moving to set the receiver back down.

Them he heard something from it that made his skin crawl.

"Dante."

The devil slayer froze as his brain recognized the voice. Dante slowly moved the phone back to his ear as he moved his feet off the desk.

"Vergil?"

"127 West Avenue. Do not be late."

The line went dead was Dante processed what he just heard.

The receiver was set on the stand in what must have been the slowest movement that Dante has ever made.

He was either going crazy, or his dead brother found out how to come back from the dead.

Who was he kidding? For all Dante knew, Vergil clawed his way up the river Styx and flipped off the ferryman on the way. Probably just to spite him too.

Dante sat for a long stretch of time, his face covered by his hands. He was still trying to process exactly how his brother managed to come back from the dead.

He had done it with his own hands. His last battle with Nelo Angelo was confirmation that Vergil was gone, yet somehow he had gotten a phone call from him.

Maybe it was a demon trying to trick him? There was a good possibility of that, but what if it was Vergil?

Dante sighed shakily, removing his hands from his face and leaning back in his chair.

He glanced at the left side of his desk where a small drawer was located. He reached over with minimal effort and slid the compartment open.

Inside was a small black leather glove. A large slice in the material was in the palm of the glove, along with an old blood stain.

Dante reached in and lifted the glove from it's resting place. The leather was old and dusty, requiring a shake or two to rid it of the grime.

Dante stared at the glove, turning it over in his hand a few times.

What would he even say to Vergil? 'I'm sorry for leaving you in the underworld and then killing you later'?

Dante brought his free hand to his face and let out a sigh that held more tiredness in it than anything prior.

The washing machine dinged loudly, drawing Dante from his thoughts.

After a few minutes of emotional weighing, Dante lifted himself from the chair and moved to retrieve his clothes.

The washer gave off a comforting heat as Dante pulled his clothes from it, finding that it had also dried his clothes for him.

He gave the demonic machine a friendly pat before slipping on his clothes.

Dante walked out of the bathroom in a shaky stride, his mind riddled with questions and emotions that he couldn't quite identify.

He was nervous to face his brother again, especially after their last encounter.

Rebellion hummed as he lifted it from the desk, trying to comfort it's master the same way Alpheus had.

Dante was about to walk out of the shop when he stopped. He glanced at the worn leather glove again, giving the decision another hundred second thoughts.

He lifted the glove from the desk and pulled off the one already on his hand.

The leather of the glove gave a squeak as Dante slipped it on, showing how much the devil slayer had changed since then.

Dante went over the directions he had been given two more times.

127 West Avenue.

It wasn't too far from the office, being only roughly a half mile away. It made Dante even more suspicious. How would Vergil have known where the shop was in the first place?

Dante opened the door slowly before stepping out into the night.

The street lights hummed quietly in the strange fog that hung in the street, making Dante's shaking red coat even more noticeable.


	2. Street Lights

Dante ran through the possibilities as he made his was through the thick fog that invaded the streets.

He thought of nearly two hundred possible scenarios for the upcoming situation.

It could have been a demon luring him out, or a prank call. The first held some merit while the second was simply ridiculous.

Eventually Dante came to the conclusion that he was just nervous. He was nervous that his family would be split apart again, nervous that Vergil would still reject their familial bonds.

Dante also pondered how to ask Vergil about Nero. Dante knew Vergil would be looking for Yamato, and having left it in Nero's hands all Dante could do was shrug.

The fog seemed to be suffocating, a typical trait of supernatural occurances. Dante let his fingers drift towards Ebony, just in case.

As he walked closer to his destination, Dante felt more and more sure that some kind of demon was waiting there.

In the back of his mind, Dante brewed up another scenario. Maybe the demon had forced Vergil to call the shop to lure the other Sparda brother into the open.

Dante decided to believe that one. He would rather have his brother alive than be imitated by some copycat demon.

The devil slayer couldn't help but notice the distinct lack of demons in the area. Normally he could sense their presence even in supernatural conditions, but tonight it was silent and empty.

That also brought up the question of what made the demons disappear in the first place. Just a few hours ago the demons were rampaging wildly looking for either him or Vergil, but now it was completely silent.

Dante held onto the grip of Ebony tightly, becoming more nervous as he walked.

Dante glanced at a nearby signpost. The street name and number were familiar, letting Dante know that his destination was few left turns away.

The devil slayer began to speed walk as he grew closer to his destination. He was eager to find out if Vergil was alive, mostly out of his own need for closure. He didn't abandon the thought that he worried for his brother either.

Dante turned another corner, relying on his devil instincts to locate Vergil's presence. He felt a small pulse of energy nearby, on the exact same street he had been told to go to.

Dante had learned early on how to use his demonic senses to locate other living beings. Each creaure had a unique reading that Dante could pinpoint and lock on to, which helped greatly in battles were his vision was obscured.

Demons normally gave off stronger readings than humans, but humans also gave off extremely unique readings. A demon was normally powerful, but a human was more noticeable.

That also meant that Dante was easy to notice by other demons. His mixture of human and demon made him extremely unique, making his presence difficult to conceal.

Vergil gave off his own reading, but it was colder and less noticeable when compared to Dante.

Dante knew right away that something was wrong when Vergil's reading was much easier to notice than he remembered. It was like a lantern in a pitch black cave.

Dante gritted his teeth and moved forward, his hand nearly glued to Ebony.

He rounded the corner and stopped in his tracks. The fog was thick, but the street light made it easy to see.

Under the street light was a clearly human silhouette. Blood was scattered around the street and multiple dead demons were spread about.

The blue of Vergil's coat made the blood on it even more noticeable than the blue color itself.

Dante could hear the ragged breaths from where he was standing, which was a good fifteen feet away.

A nearby phone booth bore a trail of blood that led right to Vergil, giving away how he had managed to call the shop.

Dante moved forward slowly, making his steps loud and heavy. The other half devil didn't seem to notice that somebody else was present until Dante was standing right in front of him.

Vergil's entire image looked wounded. His coat was stained with blood and bore a large gash in the right side of the material. His normally swiped back hair was loose and bloodstained, hiding his tired eyes.

Dante felt himself age at the sight. Vergil's head moved upward ever so slightly, allowing the half devil to peer through his bangs and lock eyes with his brother.

"Hey bro."

"Hello brother."

Silence took hold again, leaving the two brothers in relative silence. Vergil's ragged breaths grew slower by the minute and Dante forced himself to speak.

"You need some help?"

Vergil let out a particularly labored sigh before relaxing into the street light he was leaning on.

"That would be... Very much appreciated, yes."

Dante nodded and reached forward. Vergil took a moment to look at Dante's hand.

The black glove still bore the gash in it from so many years ago. Vergil took Dante's hand with a brotherly energy, allowing the younger half devil to hoist him upward.

Dante slung Vergil's arm over his shoulder carefully before starting to move. Vergil's steps were slow and calculated, trying to preserve what little energy he had left.

Another gap of silence was apparent as the two walked slowly in the cold night fog.

Eventually Vergil did something that shocked Dante.

"You kept the glove?"

Vergil asked, sparking a small pang of joy in Dante's chest. Vergil wasn't normally for conversation, showing how close the brothers were.

"Yeah, I did."

Dante said with a chuckle as the two moved forward into the night.


	3. Demonic Conversation

The Devil May Cry was silent for the duration of Dante's departure, but that didn't mean it was empty.

The various demon weaponry hung on the walls were actually communicating with each other, but they did so silently.

A small telepathic web was woven into the shop's air, undetectable to humans and barely noticeable to Dante himself. Demons were able to senses the telepathic web, but only Devil Arms could truly effect the web.

Nevan and Alastor were by far the most talkative of the Devil Arms.

'Alastor, have you met Dante's brother?'

Nevan asked, her telepathic image sparking with electricity. Alastor also sparked in reply.

'No, but I have heard of him. Is he strong like Dante?'

'Not exactly. He is handsome, but not absolute like Dante. Is it quite ironic actually.'

'How so?'

'Vergil likes to imitate the image of power and control, somewhat like Sparda over there.'

The Devil Sword in question sent a wave of warning to Nevan. It was unable to perceive the difference between an insult and compliment, and was incapable of communication as well due to it's incomplete connection to the web.

Nevan ignored Sparda's warning and continued to speak to Alastor, who was listening intently.

'But Vergil is actually quite a bit weaker than Dante. He was more equal with Dante before now.'

'How is Vergil weaker than Dante? They are brothers correct?'

'Ah, but there is the problem with humans Alastor, dear. Humans do not retain their strength like we demons do, but they fluctuate in strength depending on their use of their strengths. Vergil did not accept his humanity, and became weaker as a result.'

It was then Beowulf decided to chime in to the conversation. Ifrit grumbled in it's sleep, thanks to the volume at which Beowulf spoke.

'It is true that Vergil was equal with Dante when I was defeated, but Dante has greatly increased in power since that time. Even I respect the son of that filth Sparda.'

Sparda sent another warning out, this time directed at Beowulf imstead of Nevan.

'Sparda dear, you cannot physically stop us from talking about you, so please calm yourself.'

Sparda was however, able to decipher when it was wrong in it's actions. The Demon Sword sent out a message of apology before falling silent.

'How similar is Vergil to Dante?'

Alastor asked, still interested in the older Sparda brother. Sparda itself was familiar with Dante and Vergil, but retained little of his former personality.

'Alastor dear, what comes to your mind when you think of the opposite of Dante?'

Nevan asked, her telepathic image now radiating laziness, a trait that she had picked up from her demon slaying master.

Alastor took a few minutes to focus on the image and think about it. As lightning weapons, neither he nor Nevan had the virtue of patience.

'I imagine a man in a blue coat, just as arrogant but much more collected.'

Nevan sent out a message of congratulation, with the picture of her human form clapping her hands.

'Ding ding! You are incredibly accurate Alastor my dear! Vergil is quite what you described.'

Alastor emitted a feeling of smugness upon hearing the praise, making many of the other Devil Arms roll their metaphorical eyes.

The weapons continued their conversations about the two Sparda brothers, giving a strange lively feeling to the air of the Devil May Cry.

-Transition-

The air of the Devil May Cry buzzed as Dante set down Vergil on the couch before disappearing into the bathroom.

The weapons readily cast their telepathic gaze on the new arrival, with each of them giving their evaluation of Vergil.

'This is Vergil?'

'Indeed it is Alastor, dear. He is still as dreamy as I remember him being when he passed through my room.'

The weapons gave a collective sigh at Nevan's usual flirtatious words. Gilgamesh was the one to speak next.

Though it's speech was equal to Mesopotamian cuneiform, making most of the other weapons give a confused stare at Gilgamesh.

Ifrit, who shared a display with both Gilgamesh and Beowulf translated for Gilgamesh.

'He says that Vergil is not as impressive as he thought he would be.'

Pandora, the suitcase Devil Arm spoke next.

'I like him. He is just my type.'

'Pandora dear, you have a mind for uptight business people. When will you finally go for a fun man?'

Pandora huffed at Nevan's words.

"Dante counts, doesn't he?'

'Oh my, you're starting to sound like Patty, dear Pandora.'

'Be quiet!'

While the two female weapons continued to bicker, the male Devil Arms continued their evaluations.

'Beowulf, how does Vergil fight compared to Dante?'

'He is quick and precise. He killed me before I realized he had attacked. Even when he was wielding me he was precise with his strikes.'

Alastor nodded in response to the answer, and Gilgamesh stared intently at the Sparda brother.

It was then Dante emerged from the bathroom with a first aid kit in hand. The weapons watched as Dante removed Vergil's upper clothing and began bandaging his wounds.

Nevan licked her lips upon sight of Vergil's muscled features while Pandora lost all focus on the conversation she was having, completely enamored with the half devil.

Dante radiated a feeling of relief and worry at the same time. Sparda began to emit a comforting feeling directed at the younger half devil.

Dante froze as the feeling reached him. He then slowly turned around, gazing at the Devil Arm.

"Dad?"

The weapons went silent as the event took place, removing the buzzing from the air of the shop.

What resulted was a quiet room filled only by the ragged breathing of the wounded Sparda brother.

Upon hearing no answer, Dante shrugged and returned to bandaging Vergil's wounds.

Lucifer promptly gave a look to Sparda.

'Way to go, old man. You ruined the mood.'


	4. Waking Up

Vergil felt like shit, to put it mildly.

He had woken up minutes ago, but thanks to his pounding headache opening his eyes would cause his head to explode upon catching any glimpses of light.

After waking up he had immediately scanned his surroundings as best he could without sight.

He could tell that he was laying on a sofa of some sort, specifically made out of leather and five foot eight in length, judging from how his feet hung off the edge.

The floor was wood, thanks to who he guessed was Dante practically stomping around. Or maybe his headache was forcing him to exaggerate, but he didn't really care.

His coat and vest had been removed and multiple horribly done bandages had been placed over areas that he could recall were wounded from tbe night before. The bandages were most likely Dante's doing, despite being unneeded for both of them.

It didn't take long for Vergil to deduce that Dante had dragged his unconscious body back to his shop and promptly dumped him on the couch for the night.

Vergil then moved on to self scanning in order to figure out where he was wounded and where he was not.

His chest felt like someone was sitting on him and his arms were sore. Not an aching sore, but a 'move one sixth of an inch and you will regret it' sore. His legs were numb, most likely from the awkward angle they were positioned in.

His neck was also sore, but not the same type of sore his arms were. His neck was sore like someone had hit him with a baseball bat, which was admittedly similar to sleeping wrong thanks to his devil endurance.

After his bodily scan, Vergil guessed that his ribs still had yet to heal completely and his arms were still very much shattered. Judging from his headache, Vergil also guessed that he had a cracked forehead.

Vergil sighed.

"Dante."

He called out in a relatively quiet tone, trying to get the attention of his younger brother without sending his brains across the couch leather from sheer pain.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, bro."

Dante however, couldn't tell that Vergil was in pain and spoke a little too loudly. The older half-devil grimaced as what felt like his frontal lobe screamed out in protest to the sound.

Vergil then sent out a verbal growl in response to Dante's words and from what he heard, Vergil guessed that Dante had put up his hands in surrender.

"Not feeling too good?"

"What do you think, brother?"

"I guess not..."

Relative silence then came crashing down on the two brothers, lined by a slight feeling of awkwardness.

They sat quietly, with each thinking about how to communicate without seeming awkward or forced.

"Dante, would you be so kind as to get me a Vital Star?"

Dante promptly got his feet before freezing in place. The shit eating smirk he gave Vergil was so powerful that the older half devil could feel it despite his lack of sight.

"Holy shit bro, are you asking me for help?"

"Dante, considering my inability to use my arms, yes, I am asking you for help. If you mention this to anyone-"

"Fine fine. What size?"

"A medium size should do."

Thirty seconds later Vergil heard Dante return and an object that was most definitely not a Vital Star landed on his chest.

Having regained enough tolerance to light to crack open an eye, Vergil took a peek at what had landed on him.

Lo and behold, he laid his eyes on a medium sized condom packet that had clearly not been used since it's purchase.

"Dante."

Vergil said with enough venom to poison a city's tap water.

Dante, holding the actual requested item in his left hand, shifted his weight slightly.

"Hey, you said you wanted a medium size."

"Dante, are you drunk?"

Dante stopped for a second, thinking over his next words. Eventually he simply came to terms with the fact that Vergil would just see through a lie.

"Yyyesss?"

Vergil promptly let his head fall back down onto the couch arm, which was thankfully padded and prevented any more pain from his headache.

"Give the Vital Star Dante, before I stop caring about the pain."

Dante made a face of mocking fear before stepping forward. He gently moved the Vital Star over Vergil's mouth before drawing back.

"Be nice."

Dante spoke like he was talking to a puppy who hadn't been trained. Vergil finally snapped.

"Just give me the fucking Star Dante!"

Dante was physically taken aback by the sudden outburst, completely surprised by the shattering of his calm persona.

The devil hunter simply dropped the Vital Star into Vergil's mouth before drawing back a good five paces.

Upon biting into the Vital Star, Vergil's mouth was filled with a taste that his still very angry mind recognized as 'mint leaf and unwashed ass crack'.

Vergil immediately felt the pain of his wounds worsen in the process of setting his shattered arms and healing them, cutting through flesh and repairing that as well.

His headache immediately relived itself and gave him back his ability to see without screeching at the light like a parrot on various drugs.

Vergil sat upright turned his head towards Dante, who stood nervously with a look of slight nervousness.

The stare lasted for long amount of time, with the clicking of a clock that was not present echoing in the background.

"Uh, Vergil? You okay?"

"I'm trying to decide if I should assault you or not. To break you of your intoxication."

Dante chuckled nervously as Vergil's intense stare drifted to Alastor mounted on the wall.

The older half devil stood and walked over to the Devil Arm, lifting it from it's stand and examining it.

In the middle of Vergil's examination, the gods decided to shine down on Dante with mercy on their wings.

The phone on Dante's desk rang loudly, drawing both of the brother's attention.

Dante was quick to dash over to the phone and rip it off it's stand, answering it in the process.

"Devil May Cry."

Vergil continued to examine Alastor, who vibrated in the half devil's hand. Alastor was eager to be used after so long out of the spotlight.

"Alright, we'll be right there ma'am. Stay calm, and do not touch the sword."

Vergil watched as Dante threw the phone into the air and it landed with inhuman precision on the stand.

"Well, guess we're gonna have to postpone the ass kicking Verge. Duty calls."

Dante lifted Rebellion from it's usual spot against the desk and lifted Coyote-A from it's stand on the wall.

Before he could walk out the door, Vergil grabbed Dante's shoulder.

"I'm going with you. To prevent any drunken mishaps."

Vergil said while he moved over to the staircase and lifted his coat and vest from the stairway railing.

After donning his outfit and adjusting the black crevat on his neck, Vergil followed Dante out the door.

"So, what are going up against?"

"Possesed weapon. Most likely a Devil Arm."

"Hmm. I call dibs."

"Verge, where the hell did you learn that phrase?"


	5. The Job

"So you don't have a car?"

"In my defense, I keep getting cheated out of my money and I'm up to my knees in debt because of it."

The two brothers' conversation had gone like this for the majority of their taxi ride, with the driver listening in just for the entertainment.

"You need a better financial advisor. Do you even have a financial advisor?"

"Verge, I'm going to be honest here. I have never heard of a financial advisor until now."

"... How exactly have you kept that shop running?..."

"Dumb luck and sheer stubbornness."

Vergil sighed heavily as he placed a hand on his face in a vain attempt to sufficate himself so he didn't have to bear his brother's idiotic life decisions.

Dante looked out of the window of the cab awkwardly, embarrassed that he had been admittedly less conscious of his finances that he thought.

Dante thought back to the events at the shop. At the time, he had thought the condom gag was a clever way of breaking the news of Nero's existence to Vergil.

He was fairly sure that Nero was Vergil's son, however unlikely that might be. Dante himself never had any luck with women. Plus Nero was too young to be a product of one of his teenage escapades.

The kid was only around seventeen, and both Dante and Vergil were legal at the time of what would be Nero conception, but Dante had stopped his sexual exploration two years before Nero's supposed birth.

Dante continued to ponder the matter while Vergil recovered from his bout of second hand shame.

Vergil knew that Dante had become much stronger than their father, and if Dante had done it by simply working a devil slaying business then Vergil was willing to see if his methods were effective.

The sword that rested in Vergil's lap, Alastor, crackled with an great amount of power, greater than Vergil's own demonic strength.

While Rebellion and Yamato grew and shrunk in power depending on the user, other Devil Arms were locked at a certain amount of strength until upgraded with the energy of their wielder.

Vergil was eager to see what kind of Devil Arm they were facing, even if he didn't show it visually. Reliable weapons were rare when it came to Devil Arms, and Dante was simply lucky to have so many of them.

The rest of the car ride was relatively silent except for the gentle tune of the radio when the taxi driver felt it had gotten too quiet.

As the taxi came to a stop, the brothers practically leapt out of their respective seats.

As the taxi pulled away, the brothers laid eyes on a large mansion like building, made mostly from wood. Many windows lined the house, and above the mansion a large vortex of storm clouds swirled.

A window on the second floor of the house then exploded with a blue light and the window shattered, sending the two brothers into rush mode.

Dante and Vergil burst into the home, their weapons held at the ready. After a quick scan of the first floor, they moved on to the second floor.

They ran into a hallway where a woman was struggling to hold a door closed, the same door the window had broken in.

Dante rushed uo to the woman and nodded at her pleading look.

"Ma'am, is it in there?"

"Yes! Please, help my son! He thought he could use it!"

A flash of light erupted from the door, sending the woman into the wall opposite to the door. Her head cracked against the wood of the wall, knocking her unconscious.

Vergil was quick to move.

He tapped Dante on the shoulder as he passed by, gesturing to the unconscious woman.

Dante nodded as Vergil entered the room, slamming said door shut when the older half devil passed the door frame.

Vergil stepped into the room calmly, holding Alastor tightly as his demonic power sent off a sensation of dominance.

A boy no older than fourteen gripped a black katana that crackled with blue lightning. The boy's veins had blackened around his neck and hands and his eyes were bloodshot.

The boy growled as Vergil lifted Alastor.

"I will be your opponant today, boy. I would suggest you drop the sword, should you have any will left."

The response Vergil received was an inhuman roar from the boy and a bolt of lightning that struck a few feet away from where Vergil stood.

"Very well. You choose poorly!"

Vergil shouted as he unleashed his blinding speed. Alastor was heavier than Yamato, but it was just as effective.

The boy lifted the black katana in his hands with a speed comparable to electricity, blocking and parrying Vergil's blows with demonic ease.

Vergil called forth a hail of summoned swords, forcing the boy backwards as the ethereal blades impaled the wooden floor.

Vergil rushed in from the side, colliding with the boy. The boy then lifted his leg and planted it in Vergil's stomach, making him take a step back.

The boy then swung the katana. Vergil had been out of reach of the blade itself, but that did not stop the multiple invisible slashes from cutting into Vergil's arms and legs.

Vergil growled as he swung Alastor, letting go of the sword mid-swing and imitating Round Trip.

Alastor collided with the boy's katana, sending him flying off his feet and out of the window.

The boy landed roughly, sliding in the mud that had gathered from the now downpouring storm clouds.

Vergil leapt out of the window, landing with the grace of a feather floating in the air. He caught Alastor easily as it returned to him.

The boy wrenched himself from the ground, clearly exhausted from the possession of the Devil Arm.

"I will say this only once more. Drop the weapon."

The boy, still in the grip of the possession, readied the katana in a manner that instantly brought alarm to Vergil's mind.

The boy held the weapon, preparing for an attack that was similar to Judgement Cut.

Vergil's demonic side kicked in and the resulting DT explosion knocked the boy out of the stance. Before he could recover, Vergil was before him in all of his demonic glory.

The boy lifted the katana to attack, but his arm was caught by the Triggered half devil.

Vergil continued to tighten his grip until the hand of the boy went slack, allowing the katana to fall from it's host.

One last thunder strike was heard before the sword embedded itself in the mud, now unable to effect the environment without a host.

The boy proceeded to pass out in Vergil's grip, forcing the half devil to sheathe Alastor and carry the boy.

Vergil's Devil Trigger deactivated as he entered the mansion again, leaving Vergil's wounds mostly healed.

Dante stood near the couch with the woman sitting down. Her head was wrapped in some gauze and a small blood spot was stained into it.

The woman visibly brightened upon seeing her son safe, but stumbled back onto the couch when she tried to stand.

Vergil set the boy down on the couch, which was for all intents and purposes, well made.

"Is he going to be okay?"

The two half devils took a look at the boy before giving their answer.

"He should be fine. He will be bedridden for a few days and his bruises and cuts will take more time to heal, but his body is mostly intact."

Vergil said, watching as the blackened veins around the boy's neck and hands slowly dispersed.

"What was the history behind that sword? Any idea why it was suddenly possessed?"

Dante asked, still leaning on the arm of the couch. The woman shook her head as she ran her hands through her sons hair.

"No. That sword was a family heirloom. It's been passed down for nearly fifteen generations. My son always found it fascinating that a sword like that could remain so intact with so little care. I have no idea why a normal little heirloom would get possessed so suddenly."

Vergil looked out of the first floor window, gazing at the sword which was still standing upright in the mud.

"A family heirloom is more likely to become a Devil Arm than other hand-me-downs. After so long being in one family, the sword gains a sentience of it's own and becomes a demon in order to continue helping the family it has been passed down in."

Dante explained. Vergil raised an eyebrow at the information that his brother shared, surprised to know Dante even remembered it.

The woman nodded before standing and walking up to Vergil and Dante.

She offered her hand, which Dante shook. She then gestured to the sword that was still outside.

"You can take it for payment if you want it. I still have the money for the job as well."

Dante gave Vergil a nod of approval when he noticed him staring at the black katana.

Dante watched as Vergil left the mansion approached the sword. He then turned his attention to the woman, who was asking what amount they wanted for their job.

Vergil stared at the katana intently, studying the blade. He then reached down and ripped the blade from the ground, tossing it into the air.

The blade spun in the air before returning to Vergil's hand. The half devil then swung the sword multiple times at breakneck speed, seemingly cutting the very air.

He then switched his stance and prepared a Judgement Cut, unleashing the power of the lighting Katana into the swirling black storm clouds.

The clouds stood still for a second, then exploded as an invisible blade cut through them an uncountable number of times, reducing the clouds to nothing.

A ray of sunlight shone down on the blue coated half devil as he slipped the katana into his belt.

After his test drive Vergil took another look at the black katana. It's grip was thin and long, having lost it's leather covering and exposing the handle underneath. The handle was made out of a wooden material that was also stained black. Multiple rings lined the handle for extra grip.

The guard of the katana was a wide circle shape with many inscriptions etched into the metal. The metal itself was the same black steel the blade and pommel cap were made out of.

The blade of the sword was forty one inches in length, and bore a sharp inward curve at the point of the blade. The edge of the blade was also etched with inscriptions and stopped about halfway down the blade.

The katanta was a good forty seven inches long including the grip and blade. Vergil twirled the sword before slipping it back into his belt.

The blade then crackled with lightning and the name of the sword flowed into the half devil's mind.

'Takemikazuchi'

Vergil shook his head of the word before heading back to the mansion. Dante walked out just as Vergil was approaching with a small wad of cash in his hand.

"Lucky day bro, we got paid double for saving her son!"

"Let me see the amount."

Dante was about to toss the stack of money into Vergil's hand, but stopped short.

"You're not gonna steal this are ya?"

"How exactly would I steal money that I earned?"

"Fair point."


	6. Good to be Home

Dante whistled as the doors to the Devil May Cry closed, happy to have gotten some bonding time with his long lost brother.

Vergil had already sat down on the couch, leaning his head onto the back of the sofa and closing his eyes.

The new Devil Arm, Takemikazuchi, connected easily to the telepathic web and began to speak with the other Devil Arms.

Dante sat down in his chair and propped his legs on his desk like he usually did.

"So Verge, how did you like it?"

"What are you referring to?"

"Y'know, demon hunting! It was your first job."

Vergil opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling of the shop with an icy expression.

"I suppose I understand why you didn't want Father's power. You could already gain so much power just from working in this run down place."

Dante winced at the mention of Sparda. The Demon Sword itself rested behind Dante right now, and if Vergil found out that their Father's power was right in front of him, he might go into another power hungry mania.

"Well, our old man was probably as powerful as he was because of his war against the demons. Who knows how many Devil Arms he got his hands on in his prime."

"Hmm. I would assume that he used his sword most of the time. He was called the best demon swordsman for a reason."

"Oh, you heard about that one too?"

"There was a great amount of gossip about Sparda in the underworld. It was actually quite annoying."

Dante could second that. When he defeated Argosax a few years ago he had delved into Hell in it's entirety. Some of the demons actually wanted him to rule the underworld in the place of Argosax, which he quite violently declined.

But around the roars and sounds of battle, Dante heard so many rumors about his Father that he wanted to slam his head through a table.

"Hey Verge?"

"Yes, Dante?"

"Are you planning on sticking around?"

There it was. The question Vergil had heen waiting for was finally spoken. He had thought about remaining at the run down office for a while longer, and his acquisition of Takemikazuchi was an extra reason to stay.

He could amass greater amounts of power by staying, rather than leaving to search for more power by himself. He also found himself enjoying his twin's company, however embarrassing it was to admit.

Dante waited patiently for his asnwer, still nervous that Vergil would reject any connection to him. He watched quietly as a myriad of emotions passed over Vergil's being, easily detected thanks to the waves of unchecked energy flowing from his demonic side.

Dante's own demonic instincts sensed the fluctuation of power, and responded with a much weaker return wave.

Vergil sighed.

"I suppose I will."

Visually, Dante remained neutral. Mentally though, his human and devil sides high fived and proceeded to have a small party in his subconscious.

"But, there are a few requests I would like to make."

And the party ground to a halt.

"Sure bro. What is it?"

"Allow me to handle the finances of this place. It is clear that you cannot do it yourself."

Dante opened his mouth to protest, but couldn't think of an argument that would not sound like he was a child whining for a new toy.

Dante leaned back into his chair and sighed. He knew this would end badly.

"Fine. Anything else?"

"Any Devil Arms I aquire are to be attributed as my property, and you are not to touch them."

"Well, that's a given."

"And lastly, I demand that I be allowed my own room in the building. If I am to stay here, I need a decent place to sleep."

Dante reached into his pocket and withdrew a key, tossing it over to his twin who caught it with deadly ease.

"There. Key to the upstairs bedroom. Third door is the one. Should have all the normal stuff for it. Might have to redecorate though."

"Why?"

"One of my last roomates was obsessed with pink and frilly things. You can probably just replace all the pink with blue."

Vergil allowed his lips to curve upward slightly. That was a joke he could agree with, as his preference for pink was small, but frills he could live with.

"Is that it?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"Good, cause I'm starving. You like pizza?"

"Considering I haven't eaten since I called you, I can agree with pizza."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sorry for another short chapter. I've been drowning in work and have yet to really brainstorm a chapter.

Until next time, and leave a review or I'll beat ya.


	7. Financial Advise

Vergil sat quietly at Dante's desk, slaving away at the list of debts and late payments that Dante had yet to pay back.

He had been working at the problem for four hours now. With each debt paid two more took it's place, and with each one a larger amount than the last.

At this point, Vergil was prepared to use his brother as a pincushion for his summoned swords.

He had to give credit to his twin in certain aspects. The government payments were all kept paid and were very neatly squared away, which explained how Dante kept the Devil May Cry open.

Many of the debts Dante had were to clients who shoved repair bills onto him thanks to his lack of a potential damage warning when he worked. This led to many of the expenses being on Dante himself thanks to his reckless fighting style.

Dante himself sat on the couch, a practical cloud of embarrassment and shame radiating from his posture. Vergil made sure to shoot him a couple murderous looks when he found something particularly stupid on the list.

The jukebox played quietly in the corner, excluding the occasional hiccup from the machine.

Vergil continued to crunch numbers and split payments, growing steadily more violent with his pen strokes. His neat calligraphy slowly became more edged and sharp, with many of the smooth curves of the letters becoming angular.

"Dante, why is there a two thousand dollar debt for 'fashion choices'?"

"That might be Lady and Trish."

"You mean the human woman and that copycat witch?"

"Yep, that's them."

It took all of Vergil's willpower to not impale the desk with his pen and use it as leverage to launch himself at his twin.

The human woman, Lady, was already someone Vergil was irritated by. Her attitude towards him was locked at a permanent state of 'I hate demons, and that includes you'.

Trish on the other hand, was someone Vergil simply didn't like. Her abuse of their late mother's looks made him sick to his stomach, and even during his hazy time as Nelo Angelo he had not went out of way to be around the blonde.

Vergil finished the last letter of another check billed out to a construction company for the damages to their equipment during a job.

The older half devil sighed and set down his pen, fully intending to take a very long break from the issue at hand.

"Hey bro, why don't you take a break?"

Vergil only gave a grunt in reply, watching as Dante got up from the couch and moved into the kitchen.

The phone then rang loudly, catching the blue half devil's attention. Dante shouted from the kitchen as the sound of glass breaking was heard.

"Dammit! My favorite beer mug!"

Vergil took a second to take in the statement before doubling over the desk and laughing.

He laughed for several seconds before collecting himself and answering the phone.

"Devil May Cry."

Vergil said, still chuckling a bit. The voice on the other end seemed familiar to Vergil, and sounded like it belonged to a young man.

"Hello. Is this Dante's office?"

"This is Dante's office, yes. But currently he is away."

"Oh, ok. Could you tell him that Nero is on his way?"

That name rang a bell in Vergil's head, but it was a very distant one. He recalled hearing the name Nero somewhere before, and it brought forth memories of a white city and a religious group.

"I will let him know. Is there anything else you need?"

"No, that's it. Thank you."

The person on the other end hung up the phone, leaving a dull dial up tone blaring in Vergil's ear.

The older half devil set the phone back down on the stand and returned to the papers on the desk.

Dante emerged from the kitchen holding a beer bottle. He moved back to the couch and slumped onto it, setting the beer on the coffee table.

"Who was that? We get a job?"

"No. They left a message though. Somebody named Nero should be arriving soon."

Dante instantly sat back up on the couch, shocked at the words that had come out of Vergil's mouth.

He studied Vergil's expression for a bit, finding no indication that Vergil knew of his supposed son.

"You... Don't know, do you?"

Vergil's icy stare locked on to Dante, who returned it with his own rarely seen serious look.

"Know about what, brother?"

"You don't know the kid? Nero, your son?"

"I don't remember having a son, Dante."

"Alright. Now, do you remember visiting Fortuna?"

"I... I recall spending some time there, yes."

"Well, apparently you had some unholy offspring because Nero could be your son."

"I had no sexual relations while I was there, Dante."

"The kid is nineteen. When did you visit Fortuna?"

"Nineteen years ago..."

"Then how is he not your son?"

"How would he be my son? What exactly makes him my son and not some other mans?"

"White hair, Devil Powers, Yamato likes him. I'd say that's a good amount of evidence, Vergil."

"So he is the one who has Yamato. And you did not think it important to tell me?"

"No, because I thought he was your son and he could take care of it!"

"He is not my son!"

"Whose is he then? It's a safe bet that Dad didn't screw any other chicks other than Mom!"

"Do not slander our Father's name like that!"

"Why not? He was obviously a better father than you are!"

At this point, both brothers were standing and in each other's faces. Dante bore a face that was similar to snarling wolf while Vergil was exuding a dark blue energy.

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, and Sparda began to resonate on the wall.

It glowed with a subtle purple energy, but neither of the brothers noticed the Demon Sword's outburst.

"Dante, I'm going to give you until the count of five..."

"Or what? You gonna cry? Piss yourself maybe?"

"I'm going to give you five seconds to retrieve Rebellion before I start coming after you."

"Try me, bro."

Dante swiftly limboed backwards as Vergil drew Takemikazuchi and swung the blade.

Vergil went for a downward slash, but received Dante's boot instead. The red half devil flipped backwards, drawing Ebony and Ivory.

Vergil dashed forward, unleashing two slashes in Dante's direction. The younger half devil easily leapt backwards, using the wall as footing.

Dante jumped back into the air as Vergil sent wave after wave of electrified sword slashes his way, leaving large gashes in the wall and ceiling.

Dante unloaded his pistols in mid air at the speed of an automatic submachine gun, forcing Vergil to spin Takemikazuchi defensively.

The bullets deflected away from the older half devil harmlessly, putting multiple holes in various furniture and the walls.

Dante landed easily, grabbing Rebellion from it's place leaning on the coffee table.

Vergil was in front of his brother within the blink of an eye, his katana poised to strike.

Dante responded by slinging Rebllion in the same direction, producing a large shockwave as the blades bit into each others edges.

The beer bottle on the coffee table flew as the table itself was flung onto the couch due to the shockwave.

Vergil took a step back and prepared a Judgement Cut, sending Dante onto the defensive.

The red half devil snatched the beer bottle from the air and tossed it into the path of the Judgement Cut, reducing the glass container to pieces.

Dante set Rebellion on his back and swung his arm out. Gilgamesh responded by flying off it's display next to Beowulf and coating the devil hunter's arms.

Dante jumped forward, unleashing an axe kick at the same moment Gilgamesh coated his boot. Vergil leaned to the left of the attack, leaving a large hole in the wooden floor.

Vergil moved quickly, swinging Takemikazuchi twice. Both cuts hit home, leaving two gashes on Dante's chest.

The force of the blows sent the younger half devil sliding backwards, stopping just short of his desk. The papers on said desk fluttered a bit as Dante came to a halt.

Twenty summoned swords materialized behind the blue half devil, quickly launching themselves at their target.

Dante flipped out Ebony and Ivory before unleashing a hail of bullets, shattering each summoned sword before they reached the devil hunter.

After destroying the projectiles aimed a him, Dante rushed forward. Vergil sent four Judgement Cuts at his brother, but Dante easily zig zagged around them.

Dante planted his fist in Vergil's stomach as he reached him, sending the older half devil into the air.

Dante gripped Vergil's cravat mid air and slammed his knee into his stomach before turning on his heel and throwing Vergil over his shoulder.

Vergil hit the wall hard and used the bounce to flip around, planting his feet on the wall.

A DT blast then ripped through the room, staggering the younger half devil. Vergil's form disappeared, replaced by the streaks of thousands of cuts that converged on Dante.

Vergil reappeared behind Dante and slipped Takemikazuchi into his DT sheath, unleashing the full brunt of his attack on Dante.

Dante was set upon by unaccountable numbers of cuts and was sent sliding backwards. He used the momentum to turn halfway through the slide and sent his fist into the back of Vergil's head.

The older half devil's face met the floor so hard that it collapsed the wood and forced him into a scorpion position.

Vergil's Devil Trigger failed, reducing him back to human form. His body then slumped as he lost consciousness.

Dante stumbled backward, still feeling the electricity of Takemikazuchi's cuts run through his body.

Dante stood shakily for a few moments, still coming down from his adrenaline rush. He looked about the room, observing the great amounts of damage the shop had taken during the battle.

He then passed out, landing with a thud on the wooden floor.


	8. Like Father, Like Sons

Sparda hated seeing his family fight.

He felt weaker than ever, watching his two twin sons clash and not being able to intervene like a father should.

He continued to resonate great amounts of power in an attempt to catch their attention, but they were too consumed by their battle rage to notice him.

Sparda ignored the other Devil Arms cheering his sons on and continued to emit waves of demonic energy. Soon, he felt the side of him hanging on the wall rattle, loosening his restraints.

He may have been stuck as a Devil Arm, but he could still move to an extent.

Sparda had awoken many years ago, before the uniting of the Perfect Amulet and his true power being returned to him.

It was when that man, Arkham, tried to use his power to rule the human world like Mundus before him, Sid after him and even Arius after that.

He had been an integral part of the clash between Dante and Vergil, resulting in his older son's fall into the underworld and his corruption at the hands of Mundus.

Even then he resisted their fighting intentions, refusing to release his full power in Vergil's presence.

Sparda had little of his memories, but he was still the same Dark Knight.

The last thing he remembered was sealing his power and a backup of himself in his sword, and his awakening by Arkham.

Now, a great many things had passed since his awakening, including the second defeat of Mundus and his full awakening.

Along with the reunion of his twin sons, who were now trying to kill each other once more.

Sparda prayed quietly to the spirit of Eva, hoping that his sons would not kill each other. He still had yet to truly meet his grandson, Nero.

Sparda gave another brutal push, releasing even more power than previously. His display on the wall shook, and the nails creaked.

That was when Dante collapsed, leaving Vergil headfirst in the floorboards and out cold.

Sparda sent one last wave of strength outward, ripping his display nails out of the wall and sending him tumbling onto the floor.

He continued to shake on the floor, producing a constant rattling sound.

He didn't have the power to move more than he already did, leaving him helpless on the floor.

Sparda sighed, his power dissipating. He was stuck on the floor, forced to wait.


	9. Nero

In response to Angel Wolf: Thank you for the pointers. I'll definitely try to add more detail when I can. I also wanted to go for something that had actual character development, and we'll see what Vergil's time with Mundus did to the him in the future. I also had worries about getting Dante's character right, as I have yet to truly keep a character in line with their personality. It's nice to know I haven't screwed up his general attitude.

In response to reddevil47: Oh yeah. It's already named Sparda, so why not?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nero hung up the phone, more than a little confused.

The voice in the phone wasn't Dante's. Did he get a new business partner or something?

Nero waved it off and stepped out of the phone booth. He wasn't far from the Devil May Cry, so walking was an ample option.

The streets were calm, which wasn't what Nero expected, given how Dante was the son of Sparda.

Sunlight was raining down from the sky, bathing most of the city in a warm light. Nero's coat grew warm as he walked thanks to it's dark color.

He adjusted his arm in the sling, careful not to mess with the coverings.

After the defeat of the Savior, Nero was promptly worshipped by the people of Fortuna. They had discovered his connection to Sparda and considered him a messenger from their Savior.

Eventually he got tired of people dropping to their knees at his feet and left. Of course, having nowhere to go, he hunted down Dante.

"Hey kid! You new in town?"

Nero stopped, looking over at the voice. A group of street thugs sat rather comfortably on the porch of a house, quietly talking and doing what street thugs did.

"Yeah. I'm looking for the Devil May Cry, got any directions?"

Nero shouted back. The supposed leader of the street thugs pointed down the street.

"Yeah. Just go straight two blocks and to the right. You'll see it. Been kinda loud over there, so be careful."

"Thanks."

Nero said as he went on his way. He somewhat expected them to jump him, given they were, well, street thugs.

The rest of the walk was relatively quiet. The many run down buildings and various sights gave Nero something to look at while he walked, which was a very satisfying change from the white stone of Fortuna.

As Nero rounded a corner he saw a large neon sign that spelled out 'Devil May Cry'. Of course the sign didn't blink with light, due to it being midday.

The young man then began walking a little faster, eager to see an old friend again. As he walked, he noticed that the roads around the shop were full of potholes.

"That explains why he walks everywhere."

Nero muttered, climbing the set of four steps in front of the shop. As he reached to open the door, the sound of someone clearing their voice met his ears.

Nero glanced to the right, noticing a girl around his age standing quietly. Her pink shirt long blonde hair were seemingly glowing in the sunlight.

"Are you one of Dante's friends?"

She asked, her hands planted firmly on her hips in a haughty way. She looked to be a few years younger than him, no older than thirteen.

"Uh, yeah. Is he here?"

"Heck if I know. That lousy idiot is normally out doing something stupid. You'd be better off not talking to him in my opinion."

Nero did a mental double take in reaction to the girl's response. How did Dante manage to piss off such a young girl?

"Oh! I almost forgot to ask. What's your name? How did you manage to get yourself wrapped up with Dante?"

The girl asked, taking on a more friendly tone as well as a wide smile. Nero replied with a nervous chuckle, thoroughly confused by the girl's mood swings.

"Name's Nero. I met him on a job."

The girl made a face of disappointment before sighing heavily.

"Well that explains a lot. My name's Patty, and I make sure Dante doesn't drown in his trash."

Patty reached out for a handshake, which Nero went to accept. At first he tried to use his right arm, but switched to his left at the last second.

They shook hands firmly, feeling a small kinship. After their introductions, they pulled away from the gesture.

"C'mon, let's go see what kind of stupid Dante has gotten into this time."

Patty said, motioning to the door with her hand. Nero nodded, grabbing the door and swinging it open.

What they saw shocked them.

The office of Dante was littered with large gashes and many objects were in strange places. The coffee table rested on the couch and the pool table was leaning awkwardly against the wall.

A man dressed in a blue coat was imbeded by the face in the floor boards, a black katana gripped tightly in his hand.

Dante himself lay on back, passed out.

Patty rushed into the room, nearly screeching at the sight before her. Nero walked slowly in, observing as Patty had a small breakdown at the state of the room.

"How am I supposed to clean this?! Dante!"

The girl growled at Dante's unconscious body like a vicious animal. Nero noted to not agitate her in the future.

As the younger girl stormed up the stairs to retrieve cleaning supplies, Nero drank in the room.

Despite it's horrid condition, the office carried a sense of experience and comfort. Like an old grandfather sharing a story with his children. The wood of the floor was dusty, but had a shine underneath the dirt.

A plethora of weapons were on display on various places. A bladed electric guitar, a three headed nunchuck and a large claymore with a dragon for a guard were the first weapons the young devil hunter examined.

The desk near the wall was strangely unharmed considering the state of the shop. The papers resting on the desk were littered with numbers and calculations. Most of them had a dollar sign in front of them, easily showing that somebody was paying off debts.

Nero looked behind the desk, finding a familiar weapon laying on the floor.

The Demon Sword Sparda sat quietly on the floor, it's display nails ripped off the wall. The nails also sat on the ground with the sword, but not radiate energy like Sparda did.

Nero bent over and lifted the weapon from the ground, hefting it over his shoulder to preserve energy. Nero then stared at the display nails, brainstorming how to drive them back into the wall without his right hand.

Nero then began to think that wearing a sling was just a hindrance. Sparda sent out a small bit of energy, as if to say 'yes, very ridiculous'.

"Don't you patronize me."

Nero muttered unconsciously. The Demon Sword gave something of a snort before falling silent.

Eventually the young devil hunter decided 'fuck it' and simply leaned Sparda against the wall. After setting down the Devil Arm, Nero moved over to Dante's snoring body.

He jabbed Dante with his foot a few times, causing the legendary devil hunter to stir in his sleep.

"You have a good nap, old man?"

Dante groaned, looking about the room deliriously. After getting his bearings, Dante slumped back down on the floor.

"Hey kid. Sorry for the mess."

Nero chuckled, hearing the angry footsteps of Patty descend the stairs.

"Tell that to her."

As soon as the last word left Nero's mouth Dante was assaulted by a broom, wielded by a very angry Patty.

Dante lifted his arms, still coated by Gilgamesh, in order to defend from the broom attacking his face.

"Hey! Hey! Kid-"

The broom caught Dante in the mouth, shoving bits of straw into his tongue and throat. The legendary devil hinter coughed and sputtered, still trying to fend off the furious broom wielding psycho.

Nero meanwhile laughed like a maniac, watching as the supposedly invincible half devil was overcome by a girl with a cleaning tool.

Nero felt that his time here was going to be very entertaining.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sorry for the delay everyone, I was swathed in work while I wrote this.

I really want to thank Angel Wolf for the review and constructive criticism. It really helped me pinpoint things I can improve. Please continue reviewing things, as I could really use a source of feedback.

Next chapter will be filled with a game of "Who is the father?" so be prepared for some familial drama!

Until next time!


	10. The Reveal and Subsequent Outburst

Holy shitballs this thing gained some traction. Like, nearly twenty three follows in half a week. Guess I gotta step it up, huh?

After spoiling myself to absolute hell since I can't afford DMCV, I will confirm that yes I will bring the things revealed in DMCV into this fic, but they will be handled a bit differently.

In response to tenimyuohtori: OOOH YEAH. yes, Sparda is very disappointed indeed.

In response to ticktickdrew: in the words of Nico, "I know I'm late, shut it!" Just kidding tho, moar will come.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So what brings you here, kid? Guessing that those worship freaks found you out?"

Dante asked, settling down in his chair and picking a piece of broom material out of his mouth.

Nero, having helped the fellow part devil clean the room, fell onto the couch.

"More or less. It really pissed me off when they decided Kyrie wasn't worthy of me. Kept calling her a witch and tried to drive her away from me."

Dante nodded, resting his boots on his desk. Patty gave a glare to the devil hunter, making him remove his feet from his desk.

"Sounds like they don't appreciate their new Savior. Ironic, huh?"

"You're one to talk, old man! I bet if they knew you were Sparda's son they would've worshipped the gun you shot his holiness with!"

Dante and Nero laughed at the jab, neither of them noticing the humorous rumble said Devil Sword emitted.

Dante glanced over to Vergil, who was still out cold in the floorboards. Dante initially worried that he had accidentally killed him, but after checking a pulse and receiving a mumble of 'I'll kill you' Dante's fears were relieved.

Dante sighed, leaning back into his chair. Nero also relaxed, being careful not to move his right arm as he did so.

"Hey kid, what's up with the sling? Thought you liked your arm."

Nero looked down at his arm, opening and closing his fist. He had long since accepted his demonic arm, but he figured that it would be best if he hid it while in other places.

"Just making sure I don't get chased by a mob of angry christians."

Dante gave a sharp laugh, amused by the comment but not exactly approving of it. They both sat quietly for a while, simply looking about the room awkwardly.

After a long stretch of time without any communication, Nero fell into a silent stupor, examining the room unconsciously.

He noticed the distinct lack of a TV, making Nero cringe at the thought of Dante simply sitting silently with nothing to do for hours on end.

"Hey Dante, where's the TV? Don't tell me you don't have any entertainment around here."

"Hey, we got a pool table and a jukebox. Patty over there took the old year '96 one. I can't even afford a TV anyway."

Nero gave a look of confusion. He thought that Dante would've been rolling in cash, given the demon infestation around Fortuna.

"Besides, that prick over there was supposed to pay off my debts. But look, he's slackin' off!"

Dante said, pointing a relatively aggressive finger at Vergil, who was now starting to awaken from his nap in the floorboards.

Nero watched as the man in the blue coat extracted his face from the wood with a grunt and shook his head of the splinters.

"Well brother, if you hadn't pressed my face into the floor I would've gladly added to your list of debts. Let's call it the hospital bill."

Dante sighed as he got up from his chair and stood between Nero and the recovering Vergil.

As Nero watched the man pull himself from the floor, he glanced at Dante who returned the look with a shrug.

After Vergil had righted himself and sheathed Takemikazuchi Dante extended his hand towards the elder brother.

"Nero, this is Vergil. He might be your father."

Before Nero could suck in the statement Vergil quickly pointed a finger at the younger half devil.

"We never agreed on that, Dante."

"Who else could it be, Verge? I got done with my monkeying around a long time before he was born."

Vergil's gaze narrowed and he moved his finger forward threateningly. Dante extended his arms in a 'what?' gesture.

Vergil stood silently for a second before lowering his hand and shaking his head in frustration. Dante moved to enter the kitchen, but stopped short when Vergil re-assumed his previous stance.

"We will speak about this later."

"Yeah, whatever bro."

Dante said, shaking his head and moving for the kitchen. He needed a beer, and maybe one or ten asprins.

Vergil moved his head to the side, watching as Nero removed his sling and arm wrapping, exposing his Devil Bringer.

Nero stood, moving closer to Vergil while he discarded his sling onto the floor.

"So you're my dad, huh?"

Before Vergil could speak the Devil Bringer planted itself in his cheek, sending the blue half devil flying into the wall, shaking the jukebox in the wake of the impact.

As the jukebox settled a record disk slapped into place, filling the air with music that was eerily similar to Linkin Park.

Dante quickly re-entered the room, witnessing Nero's angry Devil Trigger.

Nero stood quietly, holding his right wrist tightly. The Devil Bringer clutched Yamato, which hummed with a furious energy.

A dark blue aura wrapped around Nero and a large image of a knightly demon hovered behind him. The hologram gripped the ghostly version of Yamato tightly, mirroring Nero's own position.

Nero swung Yamato downwards, allowing the sword to hang at his side.

"Damn, that felt good."

Nero muttered, moving his head to the side and coaxing out a loud crack from his neck.

Vergil slowly pried himself from the small crater in the wall, still weakened from his fight with Dante.

Dante was quick to step forward, extending a hand in front of Nero. Vergil stepped out of the wall, wiping some blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Hey now, let's not do anything rash, okay kid?"

Nero's eyes flashed a bloody red as Dante finished his sentence.

"**Shut up!"**

Nero flipped Yamato in his hand and slammed the pommel into Dante's chest, sending the devil hunter flying into the wall next to Sparda.

Nero then dashed towards Vergil, lifting Yamato in preparation to attack. Vergil quickly drew Takemikazuchi, meeting Yamato with equal, if not greater strength.

Dante coughed up a puddle of blood as he recovered from Nero's blow.

Sparda gave off an angry wave of energy, easily dwarfing Nero's own power for a few seconds before falling silent.

Dante glanced at the rattling Devil Sword, looking deeply at it for a few stretch of time. Sparda gave another rattle, trying to communicate with the devil hunter.

Nero ignored the flash of power from Sparda and pulled back for another slash. Vergil was easily faster than his opponent despite his injuries and flipped around Takemikazuchi.

Vergil called forth a summoned sword, blocking Nero's downward slash with minimal effort.

The summoned sword exploded upon contact with Yamato, sending Nero sliding backwards.

The two stood still, staring each other down. Vergil flipped Takemikazuchi once more and slid it into his belt.

"I do not want to fight you, Nero. Stand down."

Nero's eyes glowed their bloody red again, easily making car lights look shameful in comparison.

"**Fuck you!**"

Nero's Devil Trigger glitched for a moment, fusing the demon knight hologram and his physical body for a few moments.

It was but a second, but Vergil was taken aback by the sight of Nero's new image.

Nero's body was replaced by a blue skinned devil with long white hair and a halo, not to mention the two spectral hand-wings dangling off his shoulders.

The D.T flickered again, returning him to his original form.

Nero rushed forward again, lifting Yamato for another downward strike.

Dante then appeared in front of the attack, blocking the strike with Sparda's edge, which was also slung over his back.

He then wheeled around and dislodged Yamato from Nero's hand with the edge of Sparda. Yamato flew through the air, landing with a metallic thud on the floor.

Dante pointed Sparda at Nero menacingly, holding a gaze that was not entirely his own.

"Back off kid. Won't tell ya twice."

Nero's D.T persisted despite losing contact with Yamato and the young man held his ground.

The two stared each other down for a long stretch of time before Nero's Devil Trigger began to subside. The demon knight hologram sheathed it's sword before disappearing from view.

Nero growled before storming out of the front door, his temper still not quelled.

Dante rested Sparda on his shoulder, shaking his head as Nero left.


	11. Rescue and Solution

Jesus this thing got even more attention. Went from sixty three follows to a hundred and one.

Please go easy on me. My heart might shit it's pants at this rate.

In response to tenimyuohtori: HELL YEAH, D.T POWAH. Yeah, Sparda's not too happy bout that one. Nero also has good reason to be pissed. And yes, Yamato is back into it's former wielder's hands.

In response to Logic Soldier: Eh, not exactly struggling. More making sure he didn't accidentally kill the shit out of him in the process of removing the possession.

In response to LovelyPrincess4: A great many thanks. Happy that you like it so far, and I hope I love up to expectations!

In response to NightlyRowanTree: No prob my dude.

In response to reddevil47: Nah, I only spoiled myself like milk left in eighty degree heat.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nero dashed through the run down streets like a maniac, trying to ignore the sting in his eyes and his devil instincts screaming at him to kill something.

He ignored the few people he passed by and their second looks at his right arm. He was more focused on his anger at his father. Or Vergil, as Dante had introduced him.

That meant he was Dante's nephew, and that just made him feel weird. He saw Dante as more of a father figure than anybody else, let alone as an uncle too.

Nero continued to run until his legs began to burn, which was a fairly long time given his extreme stamina.

The young quarter devil slowed to a fast paced walk, pressing down the tears threatening to leap out of his eye sockets.

Nero continued to argue with himself as walked.

Why was Vergil not there when he was born? Why did his own mother give him up? Nero knew that his mother was a resident of Fortuna and not some street chick.

So why? Why didn't Vergil just stick around and take care of his son? Did he even have a valid reason for leaving?

"Dammit!"

Nero yelled as he threw his fist into a street lamp, ripping the poor object halfway from the ground and bending it into an L shape.

The quarter devil breathed heavily, still tired from his three mile sprint.

Nero reached out and grabbed the street lamp before ripping it fully from the ground and breaking it over his knee.

He moved the light of the pole and ripped that off too, leaving a simple metal rod behind. He then squeezed the bottom of the pole into a handle, forming it into a makeshift weapon.

He had left the Red Queen and Blue Rose back at Dante's office, leaving him relatively defenseless save for his Devil Bringer.

Nero's demonic instincts twitched, having sensed something in an alleyway to the other side of the street.

Nero growled. He needed something to kill anyway.

He could tell something was off as he walked into the alleyway, watching as a few monstrous shadows danced on the wall.

Nero stepped out from a corner with the makeshift pole weapon slung on his shoulder, his face stuck on a resting fury.

The demons that were dancing stopped, having sensed the immense power standing off to the right of the alley.

With a quick scanning of the area Nero easily understood the situation.

A total of five demons stood around a demonic summoning pentagram with an unconscious man who looked to be homeless laying in the middle.

Nero easily reacted as a reptilian demon leaped at him, it's claws dripping a toxic yellow fluid.

The demon stopped short as Nero caught it by the neck with his Devil Bringer, slowly choking the life from the poor creature.

A shadow cloaked demon rushed forward, quickly unleashing it's single blade like finger towards the quarter devil.

Nero stepped the side, dropping the reptilian demon as he did so. The blade finger then pierced the reptilian demon through the heart, killing it.

Nero tossed the makeshift weapon with the force of a truck, easily puncturing the cloak of the shadow demon and exposing the insect body underneath.

The demon fell from the air with the pole still lodged in it's chest. The demon writhed for a small time before stilling.

The third demon, which was also reptilian, leapt at Nero with fury. Nero easily dodged the attack, grappling the demon's tail.

He swung the demon around a few times before tossing it at its fellow demons, killing the fourth clown like demon in the process.

The fifth demon was clearly stronger than the others, as it was noticeably larger and bore glowing red eyes.

The demon growled, exuding a dark covered miasma from it's mouth.

Nero scoffed as he ripped the pole from the insect demon in one swift motion.

The quarter demon stepped forward and tapped the pole on the ground in challenge. As the metal touched the ground, Nero's D.T activated.

The alpha demon roared as it rushed towards Nero, it's mouth still leaking the dark miasma.

Nero quickly reacted, smacking the demon in the face with the pole like it was a fly in the house. The demon howled as the demon knight hologram also attacked, leaving a large gash in the demon's face.

Nero leapt froward, slamming his Devil Bringer into the demon's nostrils.

Nero grinned as the spectral demon knight dug it's fingers into the demon's nose, giving him a fairly good grip on his opponent.

Nero moved his Devil Bringer up and down violently, making the hologram knight slam the demon's head into the cement multiple times.

With one final slam, the alpha demon fell limp into the ground. Nero moved forward and stabbed the pole weapon into the alpha's eye. The knight mirrored the movement, plunging it's spectral sword into the demon.

Nero sighed, allowing his Devil Trigger to fade.

A sound to the right easily alerted the quarter devil to more pressing matters. The man in the pentagram coughed violently.

Nero stepped forward, offering a hand to the man. The man continued to cough into his fist as he took the offered appendage and allowed the quarter devil to help him stand.

Nero slipped the man's arm over his shoulder, allowing him to walk.

"Thank you. You're quite the hero."

The man said, having gotten past his coughing fit. Nero nodded, adjusting his grip on the man's arm.

"Eh, don't mention it."

"Thank you anyway. Could've died back there. Mind taking me to a hospital?"

"Not at all. Shall we?"

-Transition-

Nero sighed as he sat in a hospital waiting room, waiting as the man filled out the typical medical information sheet.

"So, I never got your name."

The man said, jotting down a few things onto the paper. Nero leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees.

"It's Nero."

"Thank you, Nero. For everything."

"Yeah, don't mention it."

Nero said, itching at his neck absent mindedly. The man glanced at Nero from the corner of his eye, still quietly filling out the form.

"I get the feeling you aren't doing so well. What's wrong?"

"Ah, it's nothing."

Nero said, waving away the question. The man was determined though and set down the clipboard and form before leaning into the arm of the chair.

"Look, I've been through a few things and I know when somebody is going having a rough time."

Nero shook his head, trying to ignore the man's concern. The man simply lifted the clipboard and returned to filling out the papers.

The two sat in silence. Nero gently prodded at his Devil Bringer, trying to figure out which parts were moveable and which were not. He eventually stopped when he found a part that disagreed with his poking.

Nero sighed, figuring that it wouldn't hurt to confess to someone he didn't know and probably wouldn't meet again.

"I... I just met my father. He... Wasn't there for me when I was a kid. Hell, I basically grew up in an orphanage."

Nero said, struggling to force the words out of his voice box. The man stopped writing for a moment before continuing.

"I assume that you don't know your mother?"

Nero shook his head, staring absently at the strangely colored hospital tile.

"No. She sent me letters while I was in the orphanage though. Never learned anything else besides her initials."

The man nodded as he finished a section on the form. Nero waited for the man's words, which didn't take long to arrive.

"I say that you let your father explain himself. Maybe your mother and him didn't have the funds to take care of you and agreed to give you up so your mother could move on with her life. Maybe your father didn't even know you had been born."

Nero prepared to retort, but found no words that could express his anger towards his father, nor his multitude of questions that the man's solution could answer. Before Nero could speak, the man said more.

"What I'm trying to say is, give your father a chance. It's never to late to reconcile. Maybe mail your mother and ask her some questions, if you still know her return address anyway."

Nero never thought of that. He had kept a few of his mother's letters in his drawer at home, and each of them had a return address.

The man watched Nero from the corner of his eye, scanning for a reaction from the younger man.

He also observed the Devil Bringer, as the young quarter devil had not bothered to hide it.

Nero nodded, leaning back into the hospital chair and relaxing. The man finished filling out the form and set it on the table between the chairs.

"Thanks. I guess I'll try to talk to him. Learn something."

Nero said while he scratched his head. He needed a shower. The man gave a warm smile, seemingly satisfied with the younger man's answer.

"Your welcome. Think of it as evening out my debt to you for saving me."

Nero smiled, feeling the weight of his anger and questions dissipate now that he had a reliable solution to his problems.

Nero got up from his chair, grabbing the form as he moved.

"I'll go turn this in for you."

He said, giving the man a friendly nod and dipositing the clipboard at the recption desk and heading for the door.

He walked quietly as the sliding doors closed behind him, pondering how to retrieve his mother's letters.

He then spotted a phone booth, and easily thought of a way.

After slipping in a quarter and punching in Kyrie's house phone number, Nero leaned against the side of the booth.

The phone rang a couple times before it went through.

"Hello?"

"Hey Kyrie. It's me."

"Oh! Nero, where are you? You left so quickly. I didn't even get to say goodbye!"

"Yeah, sorry about that. Thought it would be better to let things cool down for a bit."

"Alright, I trust your judgement. Anyway, why are you calling? You never call without a favor to ask."

"Do you remember the letters I keep in my dresser? Could you mail those to Dante's address? I have some catching up to do."

"Oh! You mean the ones from your birth mother? Yes, I'll send them right away. I hope everything goes well."

"Yeah, me too. Goodbye, Kyrie."

"Goodbye Nero. Have a nice night, okay?"

"Yeah, I will. Thanks."

Nero clicked the phone back onto it's holder, letting out a deep sigh before exiting the booth.

It was time for some familial reconnection.


	12. Repair and Financial Discovery

Heyo, extra chapter for ya. Had this one halfway done while I was working on the previous chapter, so it will be some time before the next one.

In response to confidential.liar: Yes, but Nero spent some time in an orphanage before that. And to Nero, the four years he spent there was like an eternity.

In response to tenimyuohtori: Yes, Vergil had good reason to not know Nero was his son and be away from him. Nero's mother on the other hand is a story that will be explained with time. Yeah, family stuff is weird to Nero, since he also had to wrap his head around his love for Kyrie, who was basically a sister to him. Also, no prob. I update when I can and I really like responding to these reviews.

In response to reddevil47: That would be quite the twist, wouldn't it?

In response to NightlyRowanTree: Of course. I appreciate the thanks, my friend.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dante watched as Nero stormed out of the Devil May Cry, nearly putting a hole in the wall with the strength he used to swing the door open.

"Damn. Didn't think he'd react like that..."

Dante said, itching at his pale hair awkwardly. Vergil gave a glare to his brother before moving toward the discarded Yamato.

"You were a fool Dante. That was clearly not that right time to reveal your theory to him."

Vergil said, lifting Yamato from the floor. He inspected the sword, admiring it's pristine condition. The scabbard to Yamato then formed in his other hand and he sheathed the weapon.

"What else was I supposed to do? Wait until dinner and say 'hey kid, you're sitting next your father'?"

Dante asked, lifting his free arm in an aggressive questioning gesture. The Sparda gave an angry pulse in reaction to Dante's words.

"Perhaps you could've waited until he was more comfortable with the idea of meeting his father, Dante. I doubt he appreciates my absence from his life."

"Oh, so now you accept the fact that you're his father?!"

Dante snarled, taking and aggressive step forward. Sparda gave another angry pulse, but much more powerful than the last.

The pulse was so intense that it made Dante drop the Devil Sword, producing a loud clatter as it met the floor.

Vergil eyed the weapon suspiciously before the familiar reading it gave clicked in the older twin's mind.

"Dante... That's father's sword, isn't it?"

Dante paused, having completely forgotten about his previous worries about Vergil and Sparda.

Dante sighed, bending down to lift the weapon from it's place. The Devil Sword gave an angry shock to Dante when he touched it, forcing him to leave it there.

"Yeah..."

Dante muttered, finding no point in hiding it from his twin anymore. Vergil stepped forward, staring at his father's Devil Arm.

"It does not look the way I expected it to."

Dante looked at Vergil for a moment before doubling over in laughter. Vergil gave a confused look to his twin for a few seconds before giving in to the infectious humor in the air.

The brothers stood in the Devil May Cry, quietly laughing at the Devil Arm on the floor.

Patty watched from the stairway, completely and utterly confused.

-Transition-

Dante sighed as he pulled the damaged floor boards from the rest of the wood, discarding them in order to replace them with undamaged ones.

Meanwhile Vergil repaired the walls, which were covered in gashes from Takemikazuchi as well as the large hole that resulted from Nero's punch.

Sparda sat in the middle of the room, refusing to let anyone pick it up. Even Patty had tried, but was simply unable to lift it due to it's weight rather than giving a shock like it did to the twins.

The jukebox played a gentle jazz song in the corner, filling the room with something other than awkward silence and the squeaking of the ceiling fan.

Dante yelped as he brought down the hammer and missed the nail, smashing his thumb.

Vergil grinned upon hearing his twin's pained swearing. He then ripped out another section of wall that had been sliced through.

Thankfully none of the damage touched the pipes or wires in the shop, making any extra repairs uneeded.

Dante shook his hand of the pain before resuming his work, putting a little more force into his hammer swings.

By now the sun was already setting, and Patty had long since gone home. Nero had yet to come back, and both brothers quietly wondered where he went.

Vergil finished plastering up the last gash in the wall, stepping down from the ladder he was using and wiped his hands on a white cloth.

Dante also hammered in the last nail for the floorboards, dropping the hammer and laying back lazily.

"Hey Verge, wanna go to town with me tomorrow to pick up some paint?"

"I wouldn't mind accompanying you. Have you any plans for dinner?"

"I was thinking pizza."

"We had pizza yesterday."

"So?"

"...I have a feeling that this is a habit for you."

Dante rolled his eyes as Vergil moved from the office to the kitchen, hearing the faint sound of the refrigerator door opening.

After inspecting the contents of the fridge, which were practically non-existent besides beer, Vergil sighed and closed the door.

"Pizza it is then. We will have to retrieve cooking ingredients tomorrow as well."

Vergil muttered as he walked back into the main room. Dante jumped up from the floor and jogged over to his desk.

"On it!"

He said, kicking the desk with just enough force to send the phone into the air. After snatching the device from the air Dante set about ordering the evening meal.

Vergil sighed, taking a loom at the undamaged papers on Dante's desk while the younger devil ordered their dinner.

It was nearly a miracle that the papers had not been destroyed during the two fights that took place.

Vergil leaned forward, inspecting the papers more closely. He then noticed that something was off.

"Dante, have you noticed that funds have been draining from your account for two years?"

Dante pressed the receiver to his shoulder before responding.

"No. I just thought it was part of the bank fee."

"The bank you use does not charge a banking fee. Someone has been deliberately sapping your money."

Dante's face contorted into one of fury. Even Vergil felt uncomfortable seeing such a look on his usually care free brother.

The younger half devil quickly finished ordering before hanging up the phone and joining Vergil in looking at the papers.

Vergil pointed out key numbers on the various payments, noting that the total amount of funds in Dante's account had decreased between the year before and the present, despite the lack of use of the account.

"Look, the amount taken has steadily grown as the account was not used. Whoever is doing this has grown bold."

"Fuckers. I'm gonna kill whoever did this."

Vergil straightened from his bent position, crossing his arms in something between annoyance and confusion.

Dante gave a pleading look to Vergil, still hiding a twinge of rage.

"Verge, help me find the guy doing this. You know more about this than I do, and I'm the one who owns the damn account!"

Vergil locked eyes with his brother for a long period of time, inspecting the intention behind the blue eyes the Sparda lineage was known for.

Finding nothing but desire to reclaim his money, Vergil deemed Dante's plea acceptable.

"Very well. We shall investigate further in town tomorrow. Should we manage to find this person, we will dish out proper punishment."

Dante returned his raging stare to the papers. If looks could damage things, the desk would've had a burning hole in it.

"Oh, that's for damn sure. I've been living in debt and somebody has been stealing my money right out from under my nose!"

Sparda sensed the change in mood and gave a rattle similar to the vibrate setting on a smart phone.

"Shut up dad!"

Dante snapped, shocking Vergil completely.

Dante wasn't one to lose his cool, let alone to yell at a supposedly animate object. Somehow, it felt even more powerful due to said object being Sparda itself.

The Devil Sword surprisingly stilled, having supposedly sensed that it had no place lashing out at Dante for his well placed rage.

Vergil kept his eyes on the Devil Arm for a while, still quite stunned by the events that had taken place.


	13. Return

Sorry for the short chapter. I was so caught up with Dante and Vergil's shopping that I forgot to write Nero's coming back.

In response to hawkeyestratos1996: That is the most likely outcome, yes.

In response to tenimyuohtori: Yes, very close indeed. I think Sparda is just getting annoyed at this point. Don't worry, Vergil will set Dante's habits straight somehow. Patty will probably just retreat until things calm down. Nah, Trish and Lady stuck Dante with bills during a time that I think he was more financially stable. Plus that was before the money was taken from Dante's account. Yes, Sparda loves the floor. Let's see if he can keep the floor.

In response to Guest: Thanks! I hope you keep reading! There will be more things from DMCV in the story, so stay tuned.

In response to lio4567892012: Thanks!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nero walked briskly back to the Devil May Cry, his footsteps spurred on slightly by the moon shining in the sky.

He rounded a corner, once again spotting the shop. Nero paused for a moment, slightly nervous about how he would repair his relationship with his father.

The young quarter devil took a deep breath before resuming his walk towards the shop.

The night air was slightly cold, but thankfully the shop was located somewhere that made winter and snow practically nonexistent.

Nero made his way up the stairs, his heart beating a little faster. He reached for the door, with his right hand this time.

He opened it slowly, finding that the main office was empty. The lights were off and the only light in the room was the glow of Nero's Devil Bringer.

Nero stepped in slowly, making sure that the door didn't make too much noise.

He figured that Dante and his father had gone to bed.

Nero moved toward the couch, preparing to take a few hours of sleep as well.

Until he tripped over Sparda and landed face first on the floor. He groaned as he wrenched himself from the floorboards, giving a vicious glare to the Devil Sword.

After righting himself, Nero moved to lift Sparda. Upon gripping the handle, the Devil Arm sent a powerful shock up his left arm.

Nero hissed while he shook the pain from his arm. He gave Sparda another glare.

"You wanna go, huh?"

Nero said quietly as to not disturb Dante or his father. The quarter devil reached for the Devil Sword again, but this time he used his right arm.

The Devil Bringer seemed to do the trick, successfully fending off the majority of the shock.

Nero grinned as he pulled the sword from the floor. Sparda sent more electrical charges down his arm, but the Devil Bringer's durability absorbed most of the pain.

"Not so tough now, huh?"

He said in a mocking tone. The Devil Sword gave off something similar to a huff before falling silent.

Nero chuckled before resting Sparda over his shoulder and moving to put it back where it was.

He leaned it against the wall behind Dante's desk and walked back to the couch, practically collapsing on it.

It didn't take long for Nero to pass out, given that he had Triggered twice in one day.

In his delirious half asleep state, Nero figured he would just talk to his father tomorrow.


	14. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

In response to Hotshot6: Haha! It wasn't meant to be, but it definitely made me laugh my ass off thinking of it that way.

In response to tenimyuohtori: Oh yeah. Sparda won't be very pleased when he learns of Dante and Nero's future antics. Maybe awkward drama, we'll see.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Darkness.

All Vergil saw was darkness.

Save for the bleeding sun in the sky, the landscape was comprised of darkness.

He felt as though the very air was ink that was threatening to fill his lungs with shadows and stain them black.

Just like back then.

A roar reverberated through the air. The roar was that of a panther, tinged with the echo of demonic power.

A shadow. A glimpse of a past long since forgotten.

A flash of three red eyes, replacing the bleeding sun briefly.

For but a moment, Vergil was back in hell. Suffering whatever pain Mundus decided would please him the most.

A shadow nipped at Vergil's legs, but he felt none of it through the suffocating metal encasing his body.

Whatever room there was inside the armor was filled with the ink that had long since stained his body with black lines and cracked features.

Claws rakked themselves across the armor, tearing three long gashes into it.

Instead of granting him freedom, the ink simply poured itself into Vergil's mouth again. His lungs filled with it and it coated his stomach.

He gagged, throwing it back up into the metal suit, where it would stay. Mundus never released Vetgil from the armor, meaning he would spend his days sniffing and breathing the inky substance that had also been inside his stomach and lungs.

A flap of wings reached his ears, filling his head with mocking laughter and taunting that made Vegil want to wretch.

"Hey there, metal face! You having fun drinking your own puke? Good luck trying to catch me when Mundus finds out you tried to get out again!"

No. Not again. The pain was unbearable.

The memories of metal being grafted onto his skin while still red-hot flooded back into Vergil's mind like the ink that invaded his body.

He then felt the burning pain touch his chest.

He wanted to scream. To yell out to anyone. Dante, his mother, his father, anyone.

"Anyone? Truly?"

A voice came to Vergil.

It was not the bird, nor the evil tyrant. Not Dante or Sparda or even Eva.

Just someone Vergil had forgotten.

He opened his eyes.

-Transition-

Vergil jolted awake, nearly screaming in his terror.

After a quick evaluation of his surroundings, the elder half devil found himself back in his room.

Vergil sighed, not paying any mind to his wild and undone hair. His body was drenched with sweat, but thankfully it didn't remind him of the shadowy ink.

He placed his face in his hands, trying to forget the nightmare.

It would not leave him for the rest of the night.


	15. Morning

In response to Guest: Oh that's simple. Something mediocre to you is special to someone else.

In response to tenimyuohtori: Yeah, Vergil is gonna need some therapy. Thanks, I'm trying to get these out sooner. The next chapters will be longer, I promise.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Vergil was unable to return to a peaceful sleep.

He sat in his bed, silently forcing himself through whatever terror decided to invade his mind.

Before he knew it, the sun was beginning to rise and he had missed a majority of his needed sleep.

Vergil sighed before dragging the blankets off his body and rising from bed.

He stepped into the bathroom, taking a semi-long shower. He scrubbed his skin a bit harder than usual, trying to wash off the memory of his nightmares.

After shampooing his hair to within an inch of it's life and washing off the majority of the lingering sweat, Vergil stepped out and dried off.

He walked back into his room, closing the blinds in order to have some semblance of privacy.

He slipped on a T shirt, which showed a bit more muscle than he preferred and a pair of blue jeans that felt more fitting on Dante than him.

He tugged on a pair of black socks and his boots before leaving his room, somewhat prepared for the day.

The stairs creaked as his feet met the wood and the rug covering it. Vergil tried to be quiet, but the squeaking stairs betrayed the half devil.

Dante sat at his desk in his usual laid back position, seemingly already prepared for the trip to the inner city.

He cracked a smile upon seeing his dark twin descend the stairs.

The younger devil hunter was also dressed causally, wearing a plain red muscle shirt and black jeans alongside his black boots.

"Took you long enough. It's almost ten, y'know."

Dante said with a smile. Nero stirred in his sleep on the couch, rolling over in order to block out Dante's loudness.

Vergil gave a glare to his brother, who quickly lifted his arms in surrender.

"Be quiet, brother. I would rather not suffer another assault on my face due to your volume."

Dante maintained his gesture of surrender as he lifted his boots from his desk and rose from his chair.

"You ready to go see the sights?"

Dante asked, waving his hamd through the air with some added flair. Vergil pinched the bridge of his nose, already trying to force down his oncoming headache.

"Do you even have the funds to purchase paint? I had forgotten to ask previously."

Dante waved off the question, taking as few steps toward the door.

"Eh, don't worry about it. We can visit the bank on the way there."

The devil hunter's face suddenly grew angry and demonic energy filled the room.

"Then we can catch the bastard stealing my money."

Dante's aura strengthened enough to make Nero mumble in his sleep, saying something along the lines of 'shut up, old man'.

Vergil took a swift step forward, raising his own external energy in order to cancel out Dante's suffocating anger.

Dante snapped from his rage, switching from angry to cool almost as fast as he changed styles.

Vergil centered his cold gaze on his brother, carefully measuring Dante's demonic output.

"It is best you keep your anger in check, Dante. It would be problematic to chase down the culprit while you spew demonic energy like a fountain."

Dante brushed off the lecture, moving towards the door of the shop.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. You ready to go?"

He asked, setting his hand on the handle of the door. Vergil followed suit, standing next to the door.

"I'm ready when you are."

Dante nodded, opening the door. He had barely cracked it open when he stopped dead and began to walk back to his desk.

"Almost forgot something."

He said with a grin and wave of his finger. Vergil watched as his twin lifted Rebellion and stuffed it into a guitar case before rejoining him at the door.

Vergil's annoyed look prompted Dante to lift his hands in a shrug before opening the door and stepping out.

Vergil paused before following, giving a look to Nero.

The young quarter devil slept peacefully on the couch, occasionally making small movements in his slumber.

Vergil sighed, deciding that he would talk to Nero when he returned from the trip.

The older half devil closed the door behind him and descended the steps, following Dante as he strutted down the street.

"Is the city enjoyable?"

"Oh, you'll love it. Why? Planning on having some fun while we're there?"

"Be silent."

"Okay~."


	16. Town Trip

In response to tenimyuohtori: Oh Yeah, Definitely. Probably double that if it's a demon.

In response to lio4567892012: Thank you. I try my best.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Vergil sighed as he walked down the street. Dante strode lazily next to him, his Rebellion hidden in an old guitar case.

"How did you manage to fit Rebellion in that thing?"

Vergil asked, eyeing the case like it was about to commit murder. Dante shrugged with a smile.

"I dunno. Always seems to fit in there anyway so I don't question it."

Vergil nodded slightly, deciding to ignore it as well. It would only give him a headache trying to understand Dante's tricks.

After climbing a small hill, the two beheld the main city. A small market community was visible from the street, with a Wal-Mart and Lowe's added into the mix of smaller stores.

"Which one do ya wanna shop at, Verge?"

"Preferably somewhere cheap, but reliability is also a factor. Perhaps a dollar store or a local building store."

"Wal-Mart? Maybe Lowe's?"

"Perhaps. We should check other stores first."

Dante nodded, following Vergil down the hill towards the more bustling parts of the city.

They first stopped at a smaller dollar store, but failed to find anything resembling paint.

The same thing repeated for eight more stores, with Dante getting more and more annoying with each one.

"Hey Verge! They have little bubble guns! Want one?"

"No, Dante."

"Aww. Okay."

Vergil felt his headache getting stronger as they left the ninth store, suspecting the entire trip to be some kind of torture devised by whatever sadistic god risiding in the sky.

"Come, it is time to move on."

Vergil said, walking faster towards the larger stores. Dante put on a face of questioning as he met his twin's pace.

"Bro, let's just go to Wal-Mart. They have paint and low prices."

Vergil stopped. He weighed the options a few times, finding almost no concrete argument to counter Dante's.

Vergil sighed, sagging his shoulders in defeat. Dante grinned like a madman, knowing that he had already won.

"Very well."

"Yes!"

"But! You must be on your best behaviour."

"Yeah yeah, alright dad."

Vergil scowled as Dante walked towards the aforementioned mega store, the guitar case shaking on his back.

Vergil followed suit, his fists clenched tightly.

He knew this would end badly.

-Transition-

Vergil expected the worst of his twin when they passed through the sliding doors of the Wal-Mart, and made sure to keep his eyes on Dante.

The two walked quietly, attracting a minimal amount of attention from the people passing them by.

"Should we grab a cart, or are we just here for the paint?"

"How much can you afford in one outing?"

"Paint it is then."

They continued past the second doors and into the store itself. Dante looked around with a hint of enjoyment, while Vergil observed with cold eyes.

But behind the cold look was a child on the brink of screaming in joy. He had not been inside of a mega store since their childhood, and it sent a giddy feeling down the older twin's spine to visit one again.

They moved into the store, quietly looking at the multitude of goods and valuables on display for sale.

Vergil stopped, scanning the environment with swift eyes.

"Where would paint be in this place?"

Dante gave a slick smile, having a small fit of joy on the inside at his brothers' lack of knowledge.

"That would be in the home and housing section, Verge."

Vergil gave a glare to his twin, whose smile grew wider in response.

"I could guess that much, Dante. I was asking which general direction it would be best to travel."

Dante pointed to the right, still bearing his joyful and mocking smile. Vergil sighed through his nose and moved down the aisle.

Dante followed, chuckling a bit as he walked after his frustrated sibling.

The walk was mostly quiet, with the occasional display catching Dante's attention and requiring Vergil to tear him away.

They eventually reached the desired location and browsed the selection of paints for sale.

"What color is your wall, Dante?"

"Um, I think it's a dark greenish color. Kinda like a dark green crayon."

Vergil nodded, having remembered it being the same color. He searched the shelves, eventually finding the paint color they needed.

He checked the label, finding that it was only one dollar and forty two cents.

He grabbed the steel handle and pulled it from the shelf, watching as another can slid into it's place.

Vergil walked back over to Dante, who was staring weirdly at the aisle opposite to them, which was filled with children's toys.

He tapped his twin on the shoulder and presented the can.

"Nice, you found it! How much is it?"

Dante asked. Vergil turned the can and pointed to the label.

"Quite cheap, considering the color and size of the container."

Dante nodded in agreement. The can of paint was labeled as a medium size, and the color itself was not exactly common.

Dante then grinned and pointed over his shoulder at the toy filled section, which was strangely devoid of young humans.

"Wanna have some fun?"

Vergil's face deadpanned and his mood switched from quiet enjoyment to what could easily be summed up as 'what the fuck?'.

"If you want to embarrass yourself, by my guest, but I refuse to join you in your idiotic habits."

Dante shrugged before striding into the toy aisle. Vergil sighed before moving into the aisle next to the one he was in.

He browsed the aisle, finding many tools that could be used to repair the Devil May Cry if needed.

After a few minutes of silence, Vergil began to wonder what Dante was up to.

At that exact moment, he spotted something strange in his peripheral vision.

The older twin turned his head, beholding Dante with a rubber horse mask upon his head, a black horse mask in his left hand and two foam swords in the other.

Dante tossed a foam sword and the black horse mask at him, which Vergil caught deftly in his free hand.

The younger twin then moved out of sight, presumably back to the toy filled aisle.

Vergil stood for a moment, arguing intensely with his inner child who roared to follow.

Eventually the dark slayer gave into his immaturity and walked over to where Dante was.

Dante stood in the middle of the aisle, the foam sword held in a mock imitation of Vergil's own idle stance with Yamato.

Vergil quickly caught on to what Dante was hinting at.

The older half devil, still very consumed by his inner eight year old, set the paint can down at the end of the display shelf and donned the horse mask.

He moved to the middle part of the end aisle, lifting the foam sword in imitation of Dante's stance with Rebellion.

The guitar case Rebellion itself was stored in was also set against the display shelves, out of harm's way.

The younger half devil brought his own foam sword up, prepared to meet his brother in fake combat.

The two stood still for a few minutes, locked in their battle stances.

With an invisible signal, the two rushed forward to meet each other in combat.

Dante swung his sword upwards, which Vergil sidestepped with ease. The older twin brought his own sword down in a sideways cut, forcing Dante to slide on his knees under the attack.

Vergil spun, making the horse mask flop in response to the movement. While Vergil dealt with his mask, Dante jumped up from his slide and swung his sword downward.

Vergil was barely able to recover quick enough to block Dante's attack, forcing the dark twin backward in an attempt to gain more ground.

Dante leapt forward in an imitation of Stinger, which Vergil ducked to avoid. Vergil quick-drew his foam blade, hitting Dante in the waist.

The two then dashed backward, standing still in something similar to a stalemate.

They stood quietly, unaware of the two children watching their fake bout.

They rushed forward again, bringing their foam weapons upward in preparation to attack.

They met each other's blades three times, with each clash having them spin around the tips of the opposites sword.

Dante caught Vergil's sword by the hilt and tore upwards, sending his twin's foam weapon flying away.

Vergil quickly glanced to his right, spotting a container of plastic katanas. He reached out with the speed of a bullet train, ripping one out of the holder and into the way of Dante's sword mid-assault.

Vergil blocked Dante's swing, pushing the foam sword to the right and planting two hits on Dante's shoulder and side.

Dante quickly stepped backwards, his sword held in preparation for another Stinger.

A whistle caught Vergil's attention, and he swiftly looked at the end of the aisle. One of the kids watching pointed upwards, and Vergil followed his direction.

Down came Vergil's foam sword, which spun wildly as it fell. Vergil reached out as Dante unleashed his attack, allowing the older twin to grab the foam sword in mid air and side spin around Dante's attack.

As Dante wheeled to the right to attack again, he stopped short as Vergil's foam sword pressed against his neck.

The two were at a standstill, with Vergil holding the foam sword to Dante's neck and the plastic katana on the other. Dante was halfway into a one-knee position, two-handing his own foam sword helplessly.

The two maintained their stances, with the two spectating children watching intently.

Not a minute later, the two half devil's burst out into laughter at the ridiculousness of the battle.

Dante was laughing so hard that he fell onto his backside, loosing his grip on the foam sword. Vergil staggered in his laughter, having to lean on one of the shelves in order to keep upright.

The children applauded and laughed as well, having just witnessed one of the most intense foam sword fights ever.

It didn't go too badly, Vergil figured.


	17. Alone Time

In response to PheonixQueen15: Yeah. Your review impacted me a lot during my dark moment, and thanks again.

In response to tenimyuohtori: Yeah. I'm aiming for a family bonding story, and maybe a tiny bit of romance in the future. I'm glad you like my style, and thank you for sticking with me. I do plan on making things a bit more action oriented in the future, but we still have some familial things to work through first.

In response to Crimson's AXZ: That is what I was going for, yes. I'm not much for subtlety or beating around the bush. I agree on the topic of criticism, but during the dark moment I had I took criticism that was helpful and interpreted it as something different. Thanks for the luck.

In response to Kitesa: Maybe you're right, maybe not. We'll see. I don't plan on stopping either, my friend.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nero was bored.

He had woken up a few minutes after Dante and his father left, leaving him to find something to do.

He had already done some maintenance on the Red Queen, but even that bored him. He usually loved tending to his weapons, like petting a cat or dog that had yet to be paid any attention.

Nero sighed, adjusting his position around the pool table and thrusting the cue into the white ball. It hit the seven and three ball before bouncing off the side of the table and sinking the eight ball.

The young quarter devil lifted the pool cue and pumped his fist with an added whisper of 'yes!'.

Nero moved himself to a better position before taking aim once more.

Ever since the defeat of the Savior and the old coot named Sanctus, Nero had yet to meet a challenge great enough to catch his attention. Sure, he loved slaughtering demons but sometimes the lackeys weren't enough to keep his interest.

He shot at the ball again, managing to sink the four and six balls.

It was around eleven o' clock, judging from the position of the sun. There wasn't any kind of technology to tell the time, not even a wall clock or digital alarm in the bedrooms, forcing Nero to use his demon hunting training to figure out the time.

The young devil hunter continued to play pool alone, occasionally setting the balls back up to play again. The office was silent, save for the sounds of Nero's footsteps and the squeaking of the ceiling fan.

This continued for a hour, with Nero getting more and more daring with his attempts to stave off boredom.

Nero looked around at the Devil Arms displayed on the walls, eventually having the purple bladed guitar draw his attention.

He reached out with the Devil Bringer, gripping the guitar gently before pulling it from it's stand.

The young quarter devil felt a wave of electrical energy flow into his body, making his knees wobble for a second. His Devil Bringer responded the same way, sending a current of power through the guitar and making the Devil Arm shake slightly.

Nevan purred as the demonic energy filled it, allowing Nero to hold the guitar-weapon like a normal instrument.

He strummed the cords experimentally, producing a note that was definitely not that of a normal guitar. It was powerful and radiated skill and energy.

The quarter devil smiled before unleashing a set of notes that made most metal songs seem weak in comparison.

While he played, Nero moved about the office in a strange dance that sent his legs up and down and his body flying through the air.

Maintaining the music, Nero dashed towards the pool table and brought his foot upwards, slamming into the edge of the table and launching up and backwards.

Nero flipped through the air in every which way, producing electrical notes as he flew.

He landed hard on the wood floor, sliding a good four feet before stopping and delivering the last note with a flourish of the Devil Bringer.

He maintained the position as the cords hummed to a stop, bringing back the boring silence. Nevan purred again, giving Nero a provocative electrical current up his left arm.

Then, the sound of gentle clapping filled the room. The young devil hunter snapped his head towards the sound, finding a blonde woman dressed in revealing clothing standing by the door of the shop.

Nero felt a bit of red fill his cheeks as the woman clapped her hands. He hadn't even heard her enter, let alone notice her watching his show.

The woman walked forward, her applause fading out as she did so. She walked like a seductive dancer, her legs calculating each step before she took it.

"That was quite the show. Nero, right?"

Said devil hunter scratched his cheek, trying to avoid the woman's gaze. The woman smiled, her full red lips just as alluring as her movements.

"Uh, yeah. And you are?"

The woman came to a stop in front of the boy, bringing even more red into Nero cheeks thanks to the vicinity.

The woman extended her hand, which bore smooth skin and a beautiful coloration, along with expertly painted nails.

"Trish. A pleasure to meet you."

Nero switched his grip on Nevan to his right hand before reaching out and accepting Trish's gesture. Trish smiled as they shook each other's palms.

"That's quite the arm you have there. Demon blood?"

She inquired, tilting her head to get a better look at the younger devil's arm. Nero once again switched his hold on Nevan, awkwardly showcasing the arm.

Then his Devil Bringer glowed in reaction to Trish's presence, sending a painful frequency of vibration into Nero's shoulder.

He took a few hasty steps backward, holding Nevan defensively. Trish watched with amusement as Nero moved to a distance he was comfortable with.

"You're a demon."

Nero hissed, keeping his eyes on the blonde.

"Now dear, you have nothing to be afraid of. I used to be Dante's business partner. I assume that he mentioned me?"

Nero stood still. Now that he thought of it, Dante had mentioned that he had a partner after the defeat of the Savior.

He lowered Nevan ever so slightly, his Devil Bringer still glowing bright and the claws flexing. Trish simply smiled, her posture that of a lazy cat sitting in the sun.

Nero relaxed from his position, carefully bouncing Nevan in his grip. The Devil Arm gave another purr as it's wielder let down his defenses.

"Alright. What do you want?"

He asked, moving to put Nevan back on it's stand. He lowered the weapon onto the rack, with it giving an audible hiss when he finally let go of it.

"I came to offer Dante a job. Split pay up front."

Trish said, sitting down on the couch and crossing her legs elegantly. Her posture screamed seductress, making Nero blush once more.

The quarter devil rubbed his nose with his hand, leaning against Dante's desk. He didn't want to get too close to Trish, just in case she wasn't who she said she was.

"What is this job about?"

"You planning on helping?"

"Not like I have anything else to do. The old man ran off with his bro earlier today. Left a note saying they went out for paint."

Trish glanced to the wall, noticing the plaster placed over various damages that looked to be from sword strokes.

Then she caught something the missed.

"Wait, Vergil is back?"

"Uh, yeah. You heard of him?"

Nero asked. He hoped to find something about his father, if anything at all. Trish visibly became uncomfortable, switching her crossed legs and adjusting her position on the couch.

"Vaguely. By the time I knew him, he was just a husk of his former self."

Husk? That struck a cord with Nero. More than it should've.

"What happened?"

Trish glanced nervously at Nero, whose aura had gone from on edge to full on offensive. She could practically hear the devil in Nero snarl at her.

"Vergil... He was not exactly in the best shape after I was born. We both served Mundus, the Demon King. Vergil was a puppet to Mundus, and he tortured Vergil a lot. At the time, Vergil was known as Nelo Angelo."

Nelo Angelo? That sounded suspiciously close to Nero's name, plus the added 'Angleo'. He was growing more and more curious about his father by the second.

"Why are you so interested in Vergil?"

Trish's question popped Nero back to reality, and he attempted to ignore the question. He sat silent for a few seconds, trying to avoid Trish's gaze.

The pressure in the room began to thicken, clearly from Trish's growing annoyance. Eventually Nero sighed and gave in.

"Vergil... Is my father."


	18. Investigation

Whew, two chapters in one day! My fingers hurt, but the dopamine feel great in my brain holes.

Btw, I will be deleting the three updates. You guys okay with that?

In response to tenimyuohtori: Well shit, I Haven't even seen that taunt yet! The romance won't be too sappy, I promise. Hey, we'll see if they manage to annoy Vergil more than Dante already does. Heh, ironic huh? Trish just got shocked despite her use of lighting. Hehe.

In response to PheonixQueen15: Nevan liked the attention. Plus Nero needed something to do, right? I used to hate cliffhangers, until I realised how useful they are.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Vergil and Dante scanned the bank like hawks as they entered, looking for anyone suspicious or demonic in nature.

"Do you think you can restrain your anger long enough for me to ask some questions?"

Vergil asked, his icy blue eyes staring holes in more than one person. Dante's face remained dark and serious. It was clear that the devil hunter had long since lost his patience.

"Depends, Vergil. How long will it take if I use Ebony and Ivory instead of words?"

Vergil sent a glare towards his brother, who returned it from the corner of his eye.

"Foolishness, Dante. That will only get us arrested. We won't get any leads from behind bars."

Dante made a sound filled with disgust before moving forward, his hands jammed in his pockets. Vergil followed, keeping a solid grip on the bag of groceries and paint that they had bought from Wal-Mart.

Dante approached an empty accountance slot, leaning on the small section of table in front of the bullet proof glass window.

The accountant looked up from her computer with a smile, and maintained it despite the silently raging man before her.

"What can I help you with today sir?"

"Name's Dante Sparda. I have reason to believe somebody has been taking money from my account without my knowing."

The woman lost her smile, replacing it with a look of slight disbelief and confusion. Her eyebrows knitted together before she began to type away at her computer.

"What was your name?"

"Dante Sparda."

The woman tapped away at the keyboard before leaning closer to the screen. She nodded before looking back at Dante.

"I pulled your records, and it looks like you're right. Your I.D matches with your face, but somebody else has been coming in and taking money from your account."

Dante gripped his side of the table hard, and Vergil heard the cracking of the marble under Dante's grip.

The dark twin stepped forward, quickly dislodging his brother's hands from the table under the guise of having a question.

"Pray tell, how can you confirm that it was someone else?"

The woman looked Vergil in the eyes, unflinching under the gaze of the older half devil. Dante silently boiled to the side, his hands clenched so tightly that his knuckles popped under the pressure.

"We have a network of microscopic cameras installed behind our desks, which take pictures of the people who draw out money from the accounts. It was a solution that the police department set up to catch people who commit fraud."

Vergil nodded. It was a remarkable technique, and the criminals would be none the wiser to their mistake.

"What did the man look like?"

The woman turned her computer screen, showing a man in his late fifties with ragged clothing and a medical mask.

Dante took in the look of the man and saved it to his memory, with Vergil doing the same. The woman turned her computer screen back when they were done.

Dante leaned back onto the counter.

"Thanks miss. I won't forget this."

"Of course. Do you want me to get the police department to investigate?"

Dante was about to say no, but Vergil tapped him on the shoulder. The woman listened closely as well, trying to hear what the older half devil said.

"Wait. If we allow the police to investigate, we will catch the perpetrator. It will be handled discretely as well, rather than ending in bloodshed."

Dante opened his mouth to argue, but the woman cut him off.

"It's true, Mister Dante. The person will be caught and sentenced accordingly, and you will be compensated for the money you lost."

Dante ran through the outcome for both options in his head. Be preferred his version, where he punished the man, as it was more appealing to the raging devil within him. The other option was also favorable, as his way wouldn't guarantee the return of his money.

Dante sighed.

"Fine. Call the police and let's get this over with."

Vergil felt a small amount of surprise at Dante's answer, as he expected him to simply refuse help and leave to murder the criminal without hesitation.

The woman nodded before turning in her chair and lifting the phone on her desk. She punched a number in before waiting. Dante and Vergil waited as well, with Dante leaning back first on their side of the table and Vergil setting down the groceries on said table.

"Yes, officer Jhones? We have a situation."

-Transition-

Dante didn't mind the cops, but he hated being questioned without knowing the answers himself.

"How did you discover that you being stolen from?"

"I didn't, at first. It was my brother who pointed it out to me. If I'd known, it wouldn't have lasted so long."

The officer, whose nametag read 'Dt. Miles Jhones', nodded before flipping the small notepad he held closed.

"Alright, lets head back."

Jhones said, leading Dante back to the small couch and chair set to the side of the bank. Vergil sat quietly with the woman, who also volunteered to help.

The woman, named Charlotte, felt inclined to help. She had explained that she had become an accountant in an attempt to prevent what happened to her father, who was locked away for fraud and released after it was dicovered that he was innocent.

Dante sat down next to his brother, who glanced at him with an icy look. Dante returned it with a raging glance of his own.

Detective Jhones sat in the chair next to the sofa, flipping through the notepad and checking things.

"Alright, now that we know what this guy looks like, we will station a few officers trained to look for him around for a few months, see if he turns up. In the meantime, we will keep you updated om any changes to your bank account outside of the building."

Dante nodded. His option was suddenly much more appealing again. It wasn't his style to let others handle his battles for him.

"Dante, you may return to your home and we will call when and if we find the culprit. Have a good day, Mr. Sparda."

That felt weird. He never thought that he would be called by his old man's name, let alone with a 'Mister' in front of it. Sure, he had heard his father called the same thing during his childhood, but it was strange to be the one on the receiving end of the phrase.

Dant nodded and adjusted the strap to the guitar case Rebellion hid in. He didn't know how, but the metal detectors hadn't gone off in response to the weapon.

He stood, shaking hands with Detective Jhones before leaving with Vergil close behind.

As they walked out of the doors, Vergil eyed Dante.

"What, Vergil?"

"Nothing, dear brother. I just expected you to be more... Abrasive."

"And what, get arrested and lose more money getting Lady or Nero to bail me out?"

"Mm-hm. It seems you have a brain in that thick skull of yours."

"Verge, if we weren't in public I'd put a bullet between your eyes for that."


	19. The Talk

Hey people. I just wanted to let you know that I won't be around for this weekend beacuse my honorary Aunt Pam passed away.

Her cancer spread to her brain and she passed away painlessly in her sleep.

Enjoy the chapter guys.

In response to PheonixQueen15: Yeah. I figured that since Dante doesn't normally kill humans without very good reason, he would be a little adverse to murder, even when angry.

In response to Guest: I meant that Trish missed the part where Nero said that Vergil went to town as well. She was more caught up in listening that her brain took a second to realise that Vergil was supposedly back from the dead.

In response to Ourfavoritebirds: Thanks! I always hated the lack of actual family binding between Dante and Vergil, with the exception of their childhood which we have seen previous little of. I don't really have a schedule, I mostly upload when I finish a chapter. I worked fairly quickly on the last two chapters.

In response to tenimyuohtori: Oh! Ooohhh. In that case yeah. I thought you meant a taunt from DMC5, but the one from 4 I've seen. Didn't really mean to sneak that in there. Damn you subconscious mind! Being more clever than me! The romance will involve the twins, yes. The girl on the other hand, hehe.

In response to Kiro (Guest): Thank you for dropping by so much! I do apologise for that, as I wasn't exactly in my right mind. I didn't want to leave the story as a one shot, as it wouldn't really do my ideas justice. It is hard to find a DMC story that is interesting without it being a one shot, as I tried to find an older story that I remembered loving but unfortunately I didn't find it.

In response to Angel Wolf: Yeah, we both got hate from that. I suppose there are two sides to each coin. I probably won't delete guest reviews as the good heavily outweighs the bad in my opinion. I hope that my popularity lasts too, even if that hope is a little narcissistic.

In response to Talond-996: I. Would. Love that. To see DMC cosplayers rock it out on stage would make me goop myself. I love your pep talk, and thank you. It was indeed necessary.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I'm sorry, come again?"

Trish asked, her brain still boggling to understand what she was just told.

Nero shuffled nervously, crossing his arms tightly. He glanced over at the blonde, finding nothing else on her features besides shock and confusion.

"Yeah. He's my father."

He said it again, just for good measure. Trish maintained her blank look before leaning back into the couch.

"First, he comes back from the dead. Then I learn that he had a son. My god."

Trish said. It just didn't sound like Vergil, to have enough physical contact with a woman in order to have a relationship, let alone a child.

How did even come back in the first place? Did Mundus piece him back together and let him lose because he wad bored? No, not something Mundus would do, especially not when he had a son of Sparda in the palm of his hand.

Trish pressed her hand to her forehead, trying to nurse a headache that had set on earlier in the day.

"Nero, what do you know about Vergil?"

"Besides what you just told me and that he wields Yamato? Not that much."

"So, you don't know anything about your father? What about your mother?"

"I got letters from my birth mother when I was in the orphanage in Fortuna. It only lasted four years before I was adopted."

"Hmm. Have you talked to Vergil yet?"

"No... I, uh, socked him in the face when I found out."

Trish smiled like a mother proud of her son. Vergil must have deserved that punch, if Nero had to endure an orphanage in the middle of town filled with religious fanatics.

That was when the sound of loud conversation came from the door, growing steadily louder as whoever outside approached the door.

"Vergil, don't you judge me. You're the one that stayed dead for ten years."

"I am not judging, brother, I am scolding. You should take more care of yourself, lest your strength diminish because your body cannot keep up."

The door swung open, revealing Dante and Vergil. In Vergil's right hand was a bag of what Trish and Nero assumed to be the paint, as well as other things.

Trish shot a death glare at Vergil as soon as he entered, but the twin failed to notice as he took off his boots and set them next to the door.

Dante simply strode in and stopped in the middle of the room, giving Trish and Nero an evil smirk.

Dante put a hand on his chest and opened his mouth wide.

"Oh, Trish! For where have thou art been in these long months?"

Vergil's face froze into an icy statue version of itself and his eyes crept upwards to the blonde devil who was already getting up from the couch.

Vergil lowered the bag to the floor before straightening back up. Trish approached the blue half devil, her irises crackling with electricity.

"So Nelo, how have you been?"

"Do not refer to me with that name, witch."

"Oh, so I'm supposed to overlook the fact that you should be dead right now, and that you have a son that grew up in an orphanage?"

Vergil paused, giving Trish a glare that she returned tenfold.

"I had planned to speak to him, witch. You are not helping in the matter."

"Oh, good! Then that means I can do this!"

Trish promptly grappled Vergil by the ear, pumping enough electricity into him to make his body compliant, even if his mind objected.

She dragged him over to the middle of the room, grabbing a wooden chair from next to the couch with her free and and shoving Vergil into it.

She brought over another chair and set it opposite to Vergil's, giving Nero a gesture to sit down. Nero compiled, somewhat terrified by the capabilities of the blonde demon woman.

Vergil scowled at Trish as she moved over to the bag of groceries and lifted them from the floor. She slipped the bag up onto her shoulder as she walked back towards the kitchen.

She stopped as soon as she noticed Dante sneaking up the stairs. As her eyes moved over to him, Dante's face contorted into a grimace.

He quickly tried to dash up the staircase, only to be caught by the back of the shirt and dragged back down.

"Oh, no you don't! You're at fault just as much as Vergil is!"

"Oh, c'mon Trish! I'm not the kid's dad!"

"Yes, but an uncle is the closest thing to. Now shut up and mediate."

She said as she slammed Dante down onto a third chair, set to the side. Dante sighed and made a face of a child caught doing something wrong.

Trish smiled evilly before walking back towards the kitchen.

"Now, you boys make up while I make dinner."

She said with a wave of her hand.

The three sat in silence, with none of them having the slightest idea how to initiate the conversation.

Nero leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Dante leaned back and crossed his legs. Vergil simply crossed his arms tightly.

The silence reigned for a good three minutes, with each part devil growing more uncomfortable.

Nero let out a small groan and shook his head, his pent up anger returning due to the awkward position he was in.

"Where were you?"

Vergil looked up, now completely focused on his son's words. Dante watched from the sidelines, ready to jump in if Nero got to hot-headed.

"What do you mea-"

"I mean where were you? Where were you when I was born?"

"I... I was pursuing power in the Temen-Ni-Gru. I saw no reason to stay in Fortuna."

"Was my mother not a reason?"

"I... I do not remember much about your mother. I only stayed over the course of a month."

"And that justifies leaving how?"

"I suppose it does not justify my actions. If it's any consolation-"

"Yeah, you were a puppet to Mundus. I don't want consolation, I want answers."

Vergil went silent, either unable or unwilling to give Nero the answer he wanted. Nero hissed before leaning back in his seat, giving up.

The sound of the sink tap turning on and the crinkling of the plastic Wal-Mart bag was heard from the kitchen, leaving the only other sound the squeaking ceiling fan.

Dante looked up at said fan, making an annoyed face at it like it was a fly that refused to leave him alone.

"Really need to fix that damn thing."

He muttered. Unfortunately, this drew Nero's ire.

"Dante, how long did you know?"

Dante glanced back at the quarter devil and uncrossed his legs, preparing to get more invloved in the topic.

"I wasn't sure, at first. White hair, devil powers, pretty good evidence. It wasn't until I saw how the Yamato reacted to you that I knew."

"Why did you not tell me?"

"Because you dealing with other shit at the time, kid. You had to save your girl, what was her name?-"

"Kyrie."

"-Yeah, Kyrie, and you needed to give that old pope an ass-kicking. Not to mention picking up your grandpop's sword over there."

Dante said, pointing a thumb to the Devil Sword leaning against the wall. Nero stared at the floor, his expression strained.

Dante sighed.

"Look kid, around the time you were twinkle in your mom's eye, I was kicking your old man's ass for being a power hungry douche. He probably didn't even know your mom was pregnant. Verge, did you use a condom?"

Vergil ignored the last question and spoke, much to his brother's surprise.

"It is true, Nero. I had not stayed long enough to know that you existed."

Nero shot up from his seat, pointing a very agressive finger at Vergil with his Devil Bringer. The two half devils actually heard Nero's devil snarl as he spoke, giving the quarter devil a echo to his voice.

"**Then why didn't you stay?!**"

Nero kept his gaze on Vergil, searching for any kind of emotion. Upon finding to traces, Nero plopped back down on his seat and covered his face with his hands.

The two brothers sat silently, eyeing their nephew/son carefully. Dante gave an angry look to Vergil, who didn't even have the energy to return it.

Nero sighed as he moved his hands, going back to staring at the floor.

"I rotted in an orphanage for four years. Do you know what that's like?"

Nero said. Vergil looked downward, his expression changing to ine of pain and shame.

"No, I do not."

"To live in an orphanage where everybody is suspicious of you, talking behind your back, or just plain hate you. Do you know what it's like?"

"No."

"It's hell. And not the type of hell you think of. I was pushed around and tormented every day. And no one came to help. No one cared to help. The only comforts I had were the three meals I was fed and the bed I had to sleep on."

Vergil and Dante shared a pained look. Dante now knowing the depth behind his nephew's pain, and Vergil beginning to fathom the damage his actions caused.

"I suffered there for four years. The only thing close to family I had was the letters my mother sent me. It wasn't until Kyrie and her parents came along that I learned about family."

The brothers stayed silent, waiting until Nero was ready for one of them to speak.

"Now I find out that I have family. Actual, living blood relatives. Not adopted family, or step family, actual blood family. I have a father and an uncle. I don't know how to handle this."

Vergil reached out, setting a hand on Nero's shoulder. His actions surprised even himself, but Vergil couldn't seem to control his actions.

"Then allow us to help you cope. If anyone knows about not having family, it's us. I would wager that Dante knows more about this than I do."

Dante nodded in response, taking his turn to speak.

"Yeah, kid. I had to deal with the thought of my father, my mother, my brother being dead every day, and two of them were because of me. Because of both of us. I had to cope too. You know what I do? I hunt demons. Why do you think I decided to kill demons instead of going to college and getting an office job, huh?"

Nero didn't respond. Dante had expected that though, and continued his speech.

"Vergil had to deal too. He was the one who took on the responsibility when Dad disappeared. He got serious about protecting Mom and me and decided that getting power was the best way to do it. He wants power because he believes that power is the only way to protect the things you love, including family. He left your mom to protect her, because the same thing happened with your Grandfather."

This time Vergil decided to explain. Vergil felt that the words were not his own, but from some deep part of him that he didn't know was there.

"When we were young, Nero, our father Sparda was married to our mother. She was human, and he was a demon. He was hunted by his own kind every day. We were never safe, never truly able to be children. One day, Father just disappeared. Without a single trace. But we were still hunted. I believe that somewhere in my head, I left your mother because I feared that she would be hunted like we were."

Nero nodded, slowly absorbing the reasoning that they had given him.

Trish leaned on the kitchen doorway, watching as the three reconciled. Vergil kept his hand on Nero's shoulder while Dante watched carefully to the side, still very involved despite his physical distance.

The demon blonde smiled and looked over to Sparda.

"They get along well, don't they honey?"


	20. The Challenge (Extended)

After rereading my chapter, I decided to extend it. New reviews will be adressed in the next chapter.

Enjoy!

In response to PheonixQueen15: Thank you. Her death wasn't easy for anybody. Yeah, Trish is kinda done with the entire family drama fiasco. Foreshadowing? Maybe.

In response to Crimson's AXZ: (Puts the record needle back in place) You are reading into it just enough my friend. Oh yeah, bullets will fly soon too. Neither Vergil nor Nero wanted it to be violent in the first place, but I think Dante has a different idea. I feel the same way about guest reviews, and I'm still sorry for thinkimg Turbo Sexophonic was one of them. Oops.

In response to Ty (Guest): Maybe. Maybe not.

In response to lio4567892012: Mmm my heart is warm. Thanks btw. I work to please!

In response to Corvilius: Memory bleed is a good theory, thanks to Trish using Sparda all the time. Keep theorizing my friend!

In response to WolfWingsRandomWritings: You marathoned it? Jeez, didn't think it was that short. Guess I should lengthen it up a bit. Thank you for the compliment, and I plan to stick with it for a while.

In response to Ourfavoritebirds: Lady will appear soon yes. She was supposed to be in on Trish's job too, but was late cause reasons. Vergil and her wil probably get along like a cat and water.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So Verge, where the hell have you been all this time? I thought I murdered your ass."

Dante said, a glass of Jack Daniels clutched in his right hand. Nero held a can of beer as well, thanks to the city's legal drinking age being sixteen. Vergil went without a beverage, as he despised alcohol.

"Mostly floating in the wind. My body reformed from the remnants of the Nelo Angelo armor. I had to stay stationary for roughly a month in order for my demonic energy to transmute the metal into flesh."

"That's gross."

Nero commented, taking a sip from his beer. Vergil nodded and Dante chuckled heartily.

"Indeed. The process was... Uncomfortable. I was forced to walk with a metal ankle for a few days."

Dante took a swig from his glass, still listening to Vergil. By now the devil hunter had mastered the art of alcohol multi-tasking.

Another question popped into Dante's mind, and he set down his glass next to the chair. He maintained his relaxed position though.

"Hey Vergil, are you okay?"

Vergil sent a suspicious look that Sherlock Holmes wouldn't be able to reproduce at Dante. The red half devil was not one to outright ask if someone was doing well.

"In what respect?"

Dante shrugged

"Hey, you were a minion to Mundus for what? Twenty years? Is it a crime to worry about my brother?"

"Coming from you? Yes. Yes it is a crime."

"Now that's just cold..."

Vergil allowed himself a tiny smirk, small enough to not be visible to the human eye. Dante pulled a face of hurt that was so fake, statues would be able to criticize him.

After the chuckle that followed Dante's antics, the three fell back into silence. Vergil's dwelled on his twin's words though, seemingly unable to drag his thoughts away from the question he was asked.

After a good amount of time, Vergil opened his lips.

"Yes."

"Hmm?"

"Yes, I am in a stable state of mind, all things considered."

"...Vergil, 'stable' is not what I would describe myself as after getting sent to hell, beaten to a pulp by a demon king, brainwashed and then brutally murdered by my own brother. Add on the extra shit about you coming back from the dead, and you got one hell of a trauma cocktail."

Vergil paused, finding that Dante's words struck hard. The older twin felt perfectly fine physically, but parts of hin were still akin to TV static in comparison to his bodily wellness.

Vergil looked at the floor, staring at the four wooden boards that had been replaced after his head had been impaled through them. His heart had something similar to an aneurysm in a flood of emotion.

His mind went in four directions at once in the span of half a second, but he managed to keep his neutral face. He breathed out slowly, making sure that the breath didn't turn into all out sobbing due to the stress his being was flooded with.

Dante watched closely from his chair. If he had noticed Vergil's internal conflict, he didn't show it. He simply watched with a look that betrayed his normal care-free attitude. Behind his eyes was actual concern for his sibling, and Vergil had yet to realize it.

While Vergil dealt with his emotional earthquake and Nero sat silently with Dante, Trish continued to make dinner in the kitchen, filling the room with a mouth watering aroma.

Dante leaned to the side, picking up his glass and taking a drink. His eyes were glued to his twin through the entirety of the action.

Vergil let out a sigh, having managed to shove down the emotions enough to think calmly about his own mental state.

The emotional flood was not normal, and it definetely wasn't pleasant. It had felt like a car had hit him dead in the heart.

Nero looked blankly at the ground, still somewhat emotionally shaken from his confession.

Dante finished his glass and glanced at the younger quarter devil. He then smiled evilly.

"Hey Nero, you wanna beat your old man?"

"What?"

"I concur. What?"

"You know what I mean. Kick each other's asses. Get all that pent up aggression out. It's Sparda family tradition!"

Dante exclaimed, lifting his empty glass with a beaming smile. Nero glanced at Vergil, searching for approval.

Vergil sighed.

"Very well. Do you have a suitable location?"

Dante smirked as he got up from his chair and walked over to his desk. He opened a compartment and pulled out a key.

He moved over to the nearest closed door and shoved the key in. Upon opening the door, demonic energy rippled from it. On the other side was the very familiar image of the Bloody Palace.

Dante pulled the key from the door and waved it through the air.

"Pretty handy, huh?"

He said before shoving the key into his pocket. Nero got up from his chair, looking through the portal door experimentally.

Vergil sat quietly for a few seconds, debating wether or not to go back on his decision. His humanity growled at him, forcing him to get up and move to the door.

Vergil stopped at the door, looking through it suspiciously. As he was about to step through, Dante set a hand on his chest.

The red half devil moved his pointer finger between the father and son, a serious look on his face.

"No. Killing. Only friendly ass-kicking, got it?"

Nero rolled his eyes while Vergil gave his brother a deadpan look.

"Of course, brother. It would be foolish to do otherwise."

He said before stepping through the portal. Nero was about to step in, but suddenly remembered something.

He dashed back to the couch, grabbing the Red Queen and Blue Rose before heading back to the door and going in.

Dante walked over and picked up a chair and a bottle of Jack Daniels before following, closing the door behind him.

The office was silent for a few minutes before Trish walked out of the kitchen with three plates of spaghetti.

She looked about the room before her face curled into rage.

"**Dante!**"


	21. The Duels

Sorry for the long wait, I ended up getting invested in my other stories and then fell into a inspiration ditch. Special thanks to my friend Ethan, who is probably reading this.

Suck it, Ethan.

PheonixQueen15: Yeah, Vergil is having quite the emotional meltdown. Another reason why he needs therapy.

lio4567892012: Did you just uwu? How. Dare. You. All joking aside, thanks for the praise!

Cipher (Guest): Thanks my dude! I hope you keep reading and keep smiling!

BurningBlaze1996: Oh yeah. I always look at the Sparda family and imagine the fun antics that Sparda and the twins would get into and the weird situations between Eva's parents and Sparda. Repairing the Sparda fam is gonna be a long journey.

KiroZen: Heh, yeah. Friendly is definitely not the word for it. Ass kicking is always interesting to watch right? Hell, I'm subscribed to the r/fightporn subReddit.

Xana100: Hey, with both Nero and Dante around Vergil isn't going to be trying any power hungry stuff without a swift 'knock your shit off' punch. Plus, I couldn't keep a solid timeline so I just decided to make this it's own thing.

NightTheif200: Well, here you go! Enjoy the ass-kicking!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Vergil stepped into the Bloody Palace, feeling the sound of his footsteps change thanks to the marbled floor. Nero followed, the sound of his boots being drastically different from Vergil's black socks. He really shouldn't have taken them off.

The blue half devil paced into the middle of the arena, Yamato materialising in his hand with a flash of dark blue energy. The sound of the door closing and the legs of a chair meeting the floor met Vergil's ears, prompting him to turn around.

There Dante sat in a chair off to the side of the arena, an entire bottle of Jack Daniels in his palm. Nero walked to the other side of the arena, his Red Queen held tightly in his hand.

"You do not intend to participate?"

Vergil asked, his eyes locked onto his red coated twin. Dante flashed a smirk as he opened the bottle of liquor.

"Nope. Not for the first round anyway."

He said before tipping back the bottle and downing a quarter of the liquid. Vergil made a noise of disgust before moving to the side of the arena opposite to Nero. Yamato hummed in his hand, but it felt strangely alien now.

After so long not using the demonic katana, Yamato seemed like a completely different weapon. It had an imprint of Nero's devil side on it, along with a hidden scent of his own power. Vergil gazed at the sword for a moment before turning around. He tossed Yamato at Nero, who caught it warily in his right hand.

Nero glanced at the katana before looking back at Vergil.

"I thought this was yours?"

"It is. I would like to examine your form. Test your skill."

Nero looked at Yamato again before shrugging and absorbing it into his Devil Bringer. He then slid the Red Queen onto his back and shook his shoulders in preparation. Vergil summoned Takemikazuchi, resting his hand on the grip lightly.

"Your funeral."

Nero said, his eyes flashing with a hint of anger. Vergil's own blue orbs narrowed with a cold calculation, as if he was predicting Nero's attacks before he even began the fight.

"We shall see."

The two stilled in the span of a quarter of a second, their stances so unmoving that they might as well have been made of stone. The wind whistled as it passed and the sound of Dante taking a drink was heard.

The younger half devil sat patiently for approximately two minutes, his hand clenched tightly on his drink. Eventually he sighed and waved his hand at the two.

"Oh, hurry it up already!"

Both Nero and Vergil rolled their eyes simultaneously before resuming their frozen stance. After a few more seconds of waiting, Nero dashed forward with the speed of a motorbike, his hand drawing the Red Queen with trained fluidity.

Vergil leaned to the side as the blade came crashing down, cracking the Bloody Palace floor as it met with the marble. Nero gritted his teeth as he revved the Red Queen and pulled it from the marble, using the momentum for a diagonal slash.

Vergil hopped backward in response, bringing forth a few summoned swords to snipe at his biological offspring. Nero weaved between the spectral blades, clenching his right fist as he drew close. As he reached his father, Nero slammed his boot into the floor, making it slide to a stop and putting great amounts of kinetic energy into Nero's attack.

The quarter devil dipped his body to the side, allowing the Devil Bringer to sweep near the floor and unleash a devastating uppercut to Vergil's jaw. A blue ghost hand followed the attack, lifting the older devil up by the stomach. Nero tossed his father into the air and followed up with a powerful slam downward, the spectral fist executing the attack perfectly.

Nero took a step back, shaking his hand in mock pain as the demonic hologram faded. Vergil rose from the floor with a groan, but failed to get anywhere farther than a knee up before Nero slammed his fist into his stomach. The older devil slid across the arena with Dante clapping wildly to the side and whistling.

Vergil put his left hand behind him, flipping his body upward and putting him into Judgement Cut position. He swiftly drew Takemikazuchi, striking with a speed faster than even Yamato. Nero rushed towards Vergil, leaping forward and rolling past the circle of cuts thay would've hit him otherwise. Nero used the momentum of the roll to quick-draw the Red Queen, slamming the blade down with the force of a train.

Vergil lifted Takemikazuchi, stopping the attack easily and shoving it to the side. He swung Takemikazuchi upward, cutting into Nero's side and sending them both into the air. Vergil then slashed at Nero in an X shape, adding two more gashes to the quarter devil's shirt. Vergil lifted his sword upward and sent it downwards, but Nero managed to block the strike with the lever on the Red Queen.

Nero slammed into the floor painfully before rolling backwards and coming to a stop. He reached forward, sending a spectral hand to grab the still airborn Vergil. The blue half devil slashed at the hand, easily dispersing the hologram. As soon as Vergil met the floor he gripped the handle of Takemikazuchi and popped the tsuba.

A blue doppelganger of Vergil faded into existence a few feet away, mirroring Vergil as he rushed forward and cut into Nero a multitude of times and sending his son tumbling backward. Vergil slipped Takemikazuchi into it's sheath with a smug grin, feeling as Dante raged in the corner.

"You stole my Doppelganger Style! You dick!"

Nero rose from the floor with a growl, setting the Red Queen on his back and pumping his fist into the air. A wave of demonic energy ripped through the Bloody Palace as Nero activated his D.T. and summoned Yamato into the palm of his Devil Bringer. Vergil took a step back as Nero lowered Yamato to his side lazily, his eyes glowing with a dangerous red haze.

Nero rushed forward, dragging the point of Yamato along the floor. Vergil frowned in disgust watching the action, finding it off-putting to see Yamato be used so carelessly. Nero took advantage of this and quickly lifted Yamato from the floor, spinning before unleashing a slightly diagonal cut. Vergil brought up Takemikazuchi to defend from the attack, but his distraction had not given him enough time to prepare and sent Takemikazuchi staggering to the right.

From there Nero executed a flurry of mad blows, with each one unable to be effectively blocked by Vergil and driving him back little by little. Nero's eyes glazed over with fury as he attacked, and Vergil noticed that the spectral demon knight was absent from the battle.

Vergil then found an opening, deflecting Nero's next blow with great prescision and executing Rising Star which sent them both flying into the air. Vergil slashed downwards as the Rising Star reached it's crescendo, tossing Nero downwards and into the floor with a heavy thud and the tiny crack of the quarter devil's back popping.

Nero's Trigger failed as he tumbled across the floor, dispersing the dark blue aura around him. Vergil landed elegantly, Takemikazuchi held lightly in his left hand. Nero coughed and spluttered as he tried to pry himself from the floor with Yamato, but ended up falling back down to the marble.

Dante lifted himself from his chair, walking over to the younger devil while pulling a small Vital Star from his coat pocket. He crouched down near Nero and offered the crystal item to him, a smirk on his face.

"Here ya go kid. Go have a seat, me and your old man are gonna show you a real fight."

Nero leaned upwards and took the Vital Star before hoisting himself up and limping over to the chair Dante had set. Dante began to walk over to where Vergil had stood before his bout with Nero before stopping and pointing at the younger man.

"Hey, toss Yamato back to your dad, would ya? Want this one to be even."

Dante said in a tone that wasn't exactly demanding, but more of a gentle request. Nero gripped the edge of the chair before throwing Yamato at Vergil, who caught it by the handle with ease. The older half devil then dismissed Takemikazuchi and summoned the sheath to Yamato.

Dante lifted his hand and grabbed Rebellion, drawing it ever so slightly upwards. Vergil slipped Yamato into it's sheath, but didn't completely put the blade into the holder.

Dante then exploded with demonic energy, his Devil Trigger shaking the very air around him with power. He pulled Rebellion from his back and let it hang by his side, preparing to engage his twin. Vergil also Triggered, but only moved Yamato into a slightly different stance.

The two stood still for a bit, their demonic energies making Nero sneeze painfully, as he had not yet eaten the Vital Star. They stared each other down with a brotherly anger, similar to that of a child who wanted his sibling's toy.

They exploded forward- literally, as their demonic power propelled them forward at speeds that would make a fighter jet jealous. The air rattled as their weapons collided, making Nero grip the chair in order to not fall backward.

Dante was the first to disengage the clash, backing away and swinging horizontally. Vergil squatted downward, quick-drawing Yamato and cutting into Dante's stomach. He responded in kind, slamming Rebellion down on Vergil's head before swinging upward and sending both into the air.

Vergil managed to recover as he moved upward, stopping Dante's combo with a two stroke attack and ending it with a downward strike. Dante slammed into the floor feet first, bringing up Rebellion to defend from Vergil's Helm Splitter.

Dante shoved Yamato to the side before slashing into Vergil's stomach. He followed with a helicopter slash and ended with a Stinger, sending Vergil sliding backwards. Vergil prepared a Judgement Cut as he slid across the marble, and unleashed the attack as he came to a stop.

Dante swiftly sheathed Rebellion before blocking the wave of slashes with Royal Guard. Vergil rushed forward, sending both of them back into the sky with a Rising Star. Vergil then sent three strikes into Dante's chest and ended with a slash downwards.

Dante landed on his back this time, rolling backwards and flowing into another Stinger. Vergil landed just in time to smack the strike away, which Dante transitioned into a sideways cut. Vergil fended off that attack as well before bringing Yamato above his head and meeting Dante in a heavy clash.

Rebellion and Yamato ground loudly as the two twins pressed against each other, with each trying to overpower the other with their demonic strength. Their Devil Triggers remained steadfast, showing just how much power the two possessed.

Their wounds healed as they maintained the clash, giving them both a chance to recover while also exerting their strength.

Eventually the two leapt away, once again facing each other at the opposite side of the Bloody Palace. They breathed heavily as they waited to attack again, clearly at least somewhat exhausted from their initial bout.

They then rushed forward again, their blades ready to strike. Time seemed to slow as they ran towards each other, their demonic energies trailing behind them. As they reached each other, they unleashed their attack and cut deeply into each others sides, slicing clearly through each other's abdomens.

They then slid to a stop, their Triggers fading away in a snap of red and blue lightning. They stood still before falling to their knees, using their respective swords to prop themselves upward. They stayed that way for a while, their heavy breathing being what filled the silence.

Eventually Dante's heaving moved into a chuckle, which drew Vergil's attention.

"What are you... Laughing about?..."

"I guess this one... Is a tie?..."

Vergil gave another heavy breath before smiling.

"I suppose it is..."


	22. The Second Job

The Devil May Cry seemed to flash back to life as the door that had been used to enter the Bloody Palace swung back open.

Dante stepped through the door nonchalantly, Rebellion slung over his shoulder. Vergil followed closely behind, Yamato having been sent back to the pocket dimension that Dante was so used to using in tandem with his combat style.

Nero was the last walk through, with the Red Queen humming strangely. The quarter-devil had noticed that the weapon had begun vibrating gently after a particularly bloody or exhilarating fight.

"Whew, I'd say that was a good work out!"

Dante whistled as he leaned Rebellion on his desk before sitting down. Vergil continued his stride towards the couch before sitting down, ultimately coming to rest in a much more regal position than his twin.

"I have to agree. That was refreshing."

Vergil said calmly. Dante smirked, obviously proud to have found something he and his brother agreed on after all this time.

Nero glanced around the shop for a moment, a look of confusion on his face.

"Hey, wasn't Trish making dinner or something?"

He asked as he lifted the Red Queen from his back and set it gently on one of the empty weapon cases that Dante had strewn about the shop. Dante looked around the office as well, before spotting a small sticky note that had been pressed onto the other side of his desk.

Dante reached forward and peeled it from the other side of the desk. His eyes skimmed the note quickly.

_Dante, I took dinner home with me since you can't stick around for it. Have a nice day!~_

"God, damn it all."

Dante muttered before crushing the piece of paper with little remorse for the intricate handwriting on it. Nero and Vergil gave the red half-devil a look of confusion.

Dante responded with shrug.

"Well, looks like she robbed us. No dinner tonight, I guess."

He said, trying not to shrink under both Vergil and Nero's sharp gazes. Vergil lifted himself from the couch and walked towards the kitchen.

"Where are you going?"

Dante asked, watching as Vergil walked through the kitchen doorway. Nero had sat down on the couch, pulled out his smartphone and started to tap away at it.

"I'm going to make myself a meal. Since your... _friend_ stole quality ingredients."

Dante lifted his hands in surrender, despite the fact that his twin was now unable to see the action. The red half-devil leaned back in his chair and set his legs on his desk, being careful not to hang his boots over the financial papers that still resided on it.

Vergil opened the refrigerator door calmly before scowling. Two plastic bowls sat coldly in the box, being filled with the previously cooked spaghetti. Vergil would not share this with Dante, as penance for falling for the blonde demon's tricks.

In fact, Dante would never find the two sets of food as Vergil lifted the plastic containers and hid them behind the various cans of beer and liquor in the refrigerator.

Dante sighed, resigning himself to staring at the ceiling fan as it spun, squeaking all the way. He glanced over at Nero, who had turned his phone to the side and placed his earbuds in his ears.

Nero meanwhile watched the video he had tapped on quietly. He had chosen a small compilation of memes, something he normally only watched when he was bored.

Vergil emerged from the kitchen a few minutes later, a sandwich in hand. He sat down on the couch, only a cushions length away from his newly discovered son. Nero paid no mind, focusing on the video.

-Transition-

Dante growled quietly as he sat. By now it was nearing eight at night, and they had sat around the office for around four hours. Of course, he had fiddled with the jukebox for a bit, played some pool and taken a small thirty minute nap.

Vergil and Nero seemed more alike than they would like to admit, with Nero finding something interesting on his phone and staying relatively quiet most of the time while Vergil read a book with an almost serene aura.

Dante scowled at the ceiling, finding the moment of peace to be suffocating. By now he was sure that he had ADHD and hadn't been diagnosed with it, or he had accidentally taken a drink of coffee which normally sent him into a caffeine rush.

Thus, it was like god himself had blessed the red half-devil when the phone began to ring loudly. He reached over with the speed and purpose of a bolt of lightning, snatching up the receiver.

"Devil May Cry."

The voice on the other side of the phone was startled and shakey, the volume being just shy of all out screaming.

"Help, please! These... things are circling my home! I have my son in the house!"

Dante was instantly at attention. It reminded him heavily of his and Vergil's own loss. It seemed that the blue half-devil had caught the loud volume of the voice, having jerked violently to attention upon hearing what was said.

"Please be calm ma'am, they can smell your fear. Hide with your son in a closet, you should be safe there. Can you give us your address?"

The voice then rattled off the address of the home at the speed of a freight train, which Dante followed with demonic ease while he jotted the number and name down on a pad of paper.

"Please stay safe ma'am, we'll be there to help in a few minutes."

"Thank you!"

The voice said before the line went dead. Dante nearly slammed the receiver back down as he grabbed the pad of paper. He tore off the address and stuffed the scrap in his pocket before lifting his coat from the sword rack behind his desk and slipping it on with stylish fluidity.

Vergil rose from his own seat, grabbing his own coat from the nearby hat rack. Dante and Vergil grabbed their respective equipment like fire-fighters preparing to fight the biggest wildfire that the world could conjure.

Nero watched with a look not unlike a startled cat, having paused the video he was watching.

Dante slid Rebellion onto his back while Vergil examined the edge of Yamato before sliding back into its sheath. Dante summoned Gilgamesh with the flick of his wrist before dismissing it while Vergil reached into the case that held Beowulf, sliding them onto his hands while the clawed boots materialized on his feet.

Dante lifted Cerberus from it's own stand before dismissing it into his pocket dimension. Vergil lifted Alastor from it's own place on the wall, sliding it onto his back and dismissing it as well.

"You coming along?"

Dante asked as he slid Ebony and Ivory back into their holsters after a quick check. Vergil nodded as he re-summoned Yamato.

Dante gave an understanding and determined nod as he began his walk towards the office door. Vergil followed before Dante passed, placing them both side by side as they walked.

Nero watched from the couch, awestruck by the simple action that the twins somehow made look inspiring.

The double doors slammed shut as the two left, their boots moving faster than normal and bearing heavier steps.

Vergil glanced at his brother before a feeling of dread set in. The smirk on Dante's face meant only one thing...

"Don't say it, Dante."

"Let's rock!"

"...I hate you..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hello everyone! I'm sorry that this took so long.

Recently I've lost every ounce of creativity I had when it came to this fic. It went... poof, I guess. It took me two months to think of this chapter and the next one, and even longer to write this one and get started on the next.

I have to warn you guys that these chapters won't be rolling out nearly as frequently, and I feel incredibly bad that I can't write as well and as fast as I did.

Until next time. Please leave reviews, and I love you guys for sticking with this fic.


	23. Saviors

KiroZen: Careful now! Don't sneeze any blood. That would suck.

Talond-996: Yeah, ass kicking is a good tradition if I do say so myself.

WolfWingsRandomWritings: Thanks. I tried to nail Dante's feelings about Vergil getting a Doppelganger-like a ability.

The-Book-Goblin: Protective uncle will come later. Probably. But I'm glad you like it!

Haku78: Thank you! I'm not sure I'm the best family fic you could've read first, but I'm honored.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Vergil sat quietly in the car that Dante had procured. He wasn't going to question it, not when the matter at hand was so dire.

The words of the person on the phone struck both of the half-devils like a flaming semi-truck. They sat quietly, Dante's grip on the steering wheel growing ever tighter. The leather even squeaked under the pressure, which Vergil was too lost in thought to notice.

What had happened to them... It had driven them both into different paths, driven them to try and kill each other more than once... It had even driven Vergil straight into the palm of the Demon King Mundus.

Deep within the back of his mind, a nagging voice spoke. It was quiet, reserved. Knowledgeable. It was stark contrast from his devil, which was unrelenting in its drive to gain power. Vergil himself still wished to gain some of the power he had lost back. It was the reason he was here.

"_It is not the only reason._"

The voice spoke. Vergil closed his eyes in an attempt to dispel the voice. It worked, if only slightly. The voice was smaller, more insignificant compared to his devil. That didn't stop it from speaking though.

"_We can protect others. We can prevent what happened to us, and inspire others to stand against the darkness._"

Vergil felt his face morph into a scowl. Even as he tried to banish the voice, he couldn't find a true fault in the words it spoke.

No... No, Vergil didn't need the gratitude of saving one minuscule human life. Especially not when they were too frail to protect themselves.

"_You are being cruel. Like him._"

Rage boiled inside Vergil. Not his own rage. It was his devil half, outraged that this voice still had sway over it's supposed dominion.

Vergil himself knew what the voice meant. The cruelty was that of Mundus. The Demon King had left scars that would never heal, and Vergil was becoming bitter because of it. It was one of the main reasons he had returned to his brother.

Dante was the sword that could cut away the cruelty. Like he had in the Temen-ni-gru. He could pull Vergil back from the brink and set him back on the path to healing. Back on the path to being like Father.

There were many things Vergil despised about Dante. His care-free attitude that left no room for seriousness when the time truly called for it. His poor handling of money and as well as his supposed inability to stand up to the two women who had very much put Dante in debt.

Yamato hummed in Vergil's lap, responding to its wielder's emotions. The small pulse of demonic energy brought Vergil back into reality, realizing that they were almost at their destination.

The car drove quickly towards an orange light in the distance. The road they were on was dirt now, with the house they were meant to find being fairly far out of the city.

The car rounded a corner, and the brothers saw the true enormity of the situation at hand.

A house, well built and made of intricate wood, was on fire. The roof had been completely consumed by the flames and the beams that held up the porch looked as though they were about to collapse.

Demons danced around the burning house, snarling as the ashes began to fly into the air before drifting down.

Dante's devil gave an audible growl, one that Vergil's devil agreed with. This was a sick ritual, designed to give the demons power from the unwilling sacrifice of the humans in the home.

The car came to a quick stop in the driveway and both brothers leapt into action.

Rebellion sang as it came crashing down on a nearby demon, slicing it cleanly in half. Dante drew Ebony and riddled another demon with bullets until it was nearly unrecognizable before spinning and slicing another demon to ribbons.

Yamato was quick and precise, slicing into four demons before they even had the chance process the attack. The demons nearby hissed before leaping forward at Vergil, their reptilian fangs bared.

A quick punch from Beowulf shattered the first demon's jaw, even ripping the lower half from it's head. The second demon received a kick that must've shattered every bone in it's body.

Many summoned swords impaled the last oncoming demon, making it cry out in anguish. Vergil's devil growled, it's bloodlust beginning to seep out in the form of Vergil's blue aura.

Dante sliced three other demons into pieces, lacking the same style he usually did. It was like when Sid was pursuing the power of Abigail. His swings lacked any rhyme or rhythm, only aiming to kill as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Another swing saw a particularly large reptile demon reduced to a simple top half, it's legs having been removed from the waist down with surgical precision. Dante unloaded another barrage of bullets into oncoming demons, killing each one with a bullet to the skull.

Dante's vision flashed quickly to the house. He needed to save whoever was left in there. The fire wouldn't do much to hurt him beyond charr his coat. He was willing to risk the loss if it meant saving a life.

He shot another demon before sheathing Rebellion and dashing for the burning house.

"Vergil! I'm going in!"

Vergil nodded in response before slicing four more demons to piles of mutilated flesh. His summoned swords quickly stopped the demons from following Dante, drawing their attention to the blue half-devil.

A group of fifteen demons inched their way forward, their reptilian fangs bared and dripping with a yellow poison that Vergil was fairly sure acted as a paralyzing agent.

He sheathed Yamato, preparing to end them all at once. They took the movement as a sign to attack, leaping forward.

Vergil reacted quickly, slicing away at the first demons who leapt. They fell to the ground and writhed before stilling. Vergil rushed forward, cutting an individual demon down before switching to Beowulf and slamming his feet into another pair of demons.

He switched weapons once more, slicing through three demons with one strike from Alastor. Lightning crackled as Vergil tossed the sword like a boomerang. He took the opportunity to switch back to Yamato, unleashing a thousand cuts onto another demon before dismissing Yamato and catching Alastor as it came back go him.

Vergil turned on his heel and sliced clean through another demon.

He glanced at the house, watching as one of the beams that kept the porch roof up fell onto the ground with a terrible crack.

"_He will prevail._"

The voice said. Vergil didn't have the time nor the energy to banish the voice once more, simply focusing on cutting down the demons that would seek to slaughter him.

Dante growled as he kicked down a halfway burning door, searching the room quickly before moving to the next.

"Is anybody there!?"

He called out as he dodged a piece of flaming ceiling as it came crashing downwards. A sound to his left sent the half-devil into overdrive. He proceeded to ram through a wall with all of his might, coming to a stop in what looked like a bedroom.

Dante spotted the closet door quickly, and he rushed to help. He opened the door, finding a very much terrified woman and child, who at first recoiled at his actions.

Hope filled their eyes as Dante reached out.

"Come on!"

The woman held the child tightly as she took Dante's hand. She followed closely as Dante dashed back towards the front door, dodging a piece of collapsing cieling.

It didn't take long to get them out the door and Dante was relieved to see that Vergil was taking care of the last demon left standing.

As Dante stepped off the porch with the woman, a hissing sound hit his enhanced ears. Panic quickly filled his being as he shoved the woman and the child forward.

"Vergil!"

The blue half-devil was catching the woman even as she fell, glancing up at his brother.

The house suddenly let out a huff of air before it exploded into a shower of flame and wood. It sent Dante flying forwards, the power of the blast enhanced by whatever flammable substance that caused it.

He landed hard onto the ground, his back now significantly warmer than it had before he had exited the house. His ears rung painfully, the blast having wrought havoc on his superhuman hearing.

Vergil had caught the woman and child, easily keeping them from being sent flying by the blast like Dante had. He was grateful for that, at least.

Vergil quickly checked on the woman.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Please, wait here for a moment."

It wasn't like Vergil to ask. In fact he wanted to simply toss the woman to the side and help his brother, consequences be damned. He rushed over, grabbing Dante by the shoulder and hoisting him up.

Dante gave a groan in response. His back hurt more than it had in his life, but the pain was receding quickly. Vergil allowed Dante to stand on his own for a moment before fully letting go.

Dante walked forward slowly. The woman walked to meet him and Vergil, who stood to the side in case the younger half-devil ended up collapsing.

"You alright ma'am?"

"Yes. Thank you so much! I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been here."

Dante gave a caring smile. He was happy that he had prevented the loss of any life besides the demons.

Vergil however wished to snap at the woman. To say that she would be dead without them, or worse. Once again the voice spoke, having grown a bit louder than it was in the car.

"_She is grateful. Isn't that enough?_"

Vergil closed his eyes. He would have to concede that point. He had prevented a tragedy not unlike the one that had separated him and Dante.

"How's the kid?"

Dante asked. The woman loosed her grip on the child, revealing a young boy, no older than five. His face was terrified and his eyes were streaming with tears. Dante gave his usual cocky smirk and reached forward, patting the child on the head.

"Don't worry kid. You're safe now."

The boy gave a traumatized nod in response. Vergil had to admit that the hope in the child's eyes warmed a spot in his heart and he quickly buried the feeling.

The woman smiled gratefully before looking over to the smoking remains of the home.

Dante followed her gaze, his wounds now almost completely healed. He frowned at the sight.

"Do you have a place to stay?"

The woman nodded.

"Yes. My sister lives in the city, not too far from here."

She looked at Dante for a moment, a look of sincerity overcoming her.

"There should be a safe in the house. There was money kept in there if you want it."

Vergil took the opportunity to speak.

"I doubt it survived the blast."

At least, that's what he thought.

Until the heavy iron safe landed with a thud on the ground in front of them.

"I suppose it did."


	24. Peaceful Evening

Hello everyone. With some help from music and inspiration from my Grandma, I managed to cobble this together from a loose set of ideas that have been floating around in my head. I hope the description of Dante's shop will be satisfactory later on. I really wanna give it a solid image.

WolfWingsRandomWritings: I'm happy to be back. I really want to keep giving to the small fanbase this fic has. I wanted to give Dante and Vergil some time in the light after my absence. The safe was an idea I thought of on the spot, and I decided why not.

Please enjoy the chapter!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nero sat quietly, the thought of his father and Dante storming out of the office still fresh in his mind. It made him wonder what exactly happened when their father; his grandfather, disappeared.

He tapped away at his phone, sending a message to Kyrie who was still adjusting to her new smart phone. Most of her questions pertained to operating the piece of technology. He had asked how she had gotten his phone number, which she replied with 'I have my ways'.

Nero looked up from the screen. The shop still felt lively, despite the absence of anybody else. The absence of any kind of entertainment was admittedly annoying to Nero, since his attention span was short and his temper shorter.

He immediately opened his phone browser and typed in a few key words. Within seconds, images of the latest gaming consoles filled the screen along with various prices ranging from four hundred dollars at the most, and two hundred and thirty for the least expensive.

Nero weighed his options as he scrolled through the pictures, eventually settling on a certain console and bookmarking the site he could buy it from.

A message from Kyrie popped onto the screen and the young quarter devil was quick to pull it up fully. A small log of his previous messages showed as well.

_'Hey Kyrie, you up?'_

_'Nero, you know I don't go to bed until ten.'_

_'It's polite to check.'_

_'Looks like mom's lessons stuck with you.'_

_'Kind of hard for them not to when she spent three months teaching me.'_

_'That is true. So, what are texting me so late for?'_

_'You know that money I have saved up for a console? I'm thinking about ordering it. Dante's place is really empty.'_

Nero quickly took a photo of Dante's shop and sent it to Kyrie before flipping his phone back to the side. Her response didn't take long to reach him.

_'Oh my. That is really sparse. What are you sitting on right now?'_

_'He has some furniture beneath the stairs. It's really neat that his stairs have a little living space under them.'_

_'Oh really? It sounds comfy.'_

_'It is. You should visit sometime.'_

_'I probably will. If not to visit Dante.'_

_'... that hurts.'_

_'You know I'm kidding.'_

_'Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt platonically.'_

Nero soon received a smiling devil emoji, which he couldn't help but chuckle at. Kyrie might have been a polite churchgoing girl, but she had a bite to her once she became comfortable. Dante learned that first hand during his first visit to their home when he almost knocked over a cabinet full of Nero's adoptive mothers China. Kyrie chased the red-coated man all across the house with a ladle held tightly in one hand.

_'Anyway, do you plan on buying him a TV as well?'_

Kyrie's next message said. Nero snapped out of his recollection and sent a quick text back.

_'I will probably have to. He says he can't afford one.'_

_'Really? He should've gotten a lot of money from the demons around Fortuna when he visited.'_

_'I thought the same thing.'_

Nero sighed before letting his hands fall into his lap. He wanted to tell Kyrie that he met his real father, but if he told her now she would simply become worried for his relationship with his newly found relatives. After the worrying she would then beat Vergil with the same ladle she chased Dante with, mostly because the blue half-devil having been absent from his life.

Kyrie had sat with Nero during his adoptive mother's therapy sessions, helping him though the trauma of the orphanage and his issues with family. It really was remarkable that his adoptive mother was both religious and learned, especially in Fortuna. Kyrie had inherited her skill of determining how people felt simply by how they acted around each other.

He decided to put it off until later. When he had talked with her a little more about it and made sure that she wouldn't attack Vergil upon visual contact.

_'Nero, I'm going to bed. Have a nice night, okay?'_

_'Okay. Goodnight, Kyrie.'_

With that last text Nero clicked the button at the side of his phone and let it go into sleep mode. He set the piece of technology on the coffee table before getting up and stretching. He moved towards the kitchen, determined to find something to eat before he went to bed.

Walked into the kitchen briskly, turning on the light.

He light flickered on with a flash, giving Nero a real look at the area. The kitchen was an admittedly small room, being around six feet wide on all four sides and around eight feet tall from the floor to the ceiling. The floor itself was made of tile and the walls were a pristine white. A small chandelier hung from the cieling, which held the two light bulbs that illuminated the room.

The refrigerator sat to the left corner of the room, being two feet shy of reaching the ceiling. Next to it sat the stove, which held four burners. Next to that was the counter with two cabinets suspended above it. A knife rack held a few knives and cooking utensils and many spices were lined up neatly to the right it.

At the right corner of the room the counter curved, giving way to the sink and the dishwasher underneath. A few plates were stacked in the sink, looking to be recently cleaned. A rack sat to the left of the sink, situated in the corner. It held many clean plates, bowls and plastic containers along with their corresponding lids. Spoons and forks were also set on the rack, held neatly on the second floor of the three rung rack.

There were no tables or chairs in the kitchen, but it still felt homely. Nero allowed himself a grin at the prestine condition of the room before walking towards the refrigerator.

He opened the door with a gentle pull, gazing into the cold box. Many unopened beer cans and bottles of alcohol sat inside, taking up most of the space. Two small drawers sat at the bottom, which Nero opened.

A sack of apples sat lonely in one of the drawers. Nero reached in and grabbed one of the apples of the bag. The expiration date on the bag said that they were to expire by the end of the week, which meant they were bought the same day. He closed the drawer and looked closer at the contents of the refrigerator.

He spotted something else behind the beer and he moved said refreshments to the side. He found two plastic containers full of spaghetti, which he would assume Trish had hid to get back at Dante while leaving something for Vergil and himself. Nero reached in and grabbed one of the containers before closing the refrigerator door.

He walked over to the counter, where he noticed that a small microwave was suspended above the clean dish rack, held up by white painted boards that were drilled firmly into the wall. It faced outward into the kitchen instead of facing the same way as the wall, most likely for convenience.

Nero popped the lid off the plastic container and opened the microwave, setting the timer for a minute and a half before closing the door and pressing start.

While the spaghetti warmed, Nero grabbed a knife from the rack and sliced the apple into twelve neat pieces, grabbing a clean plate and fork from the rack to place the apple slices on and eat the spaghetti with.

A ding echoed through the kitchen as the microwave finished bombarding the plastic container with waves of heat. Nero opened the door with his Devil Bringer, as it was resistant to heat and pretty much everything else. He grabbed the plastic bowl gently before pulling it out and closing the microwave door with his elbow.

He walked back out into the main room, placing his plate of apple slices and bowl of spaghetti on the coffee table before moving back to the kitchen and shutting off the light.

Nero sat back down on the couch with a sigh. It was a quiet night, which was nice. The strange lively feeling in the air made it more than enjoyable, which was a nice change from Fortunan sunsets. The sunsets on the island radiated a melancholy tone. Neither Kyrie nor Nero liked feeling sad when they went to bed, so they normally spent the night watching TV together instead of watching the sun disappear over the horizon.

Nero lifted the plastic bowl from the table, taking a bite of the spaghetti that Trish had made. It was good. Almost on the level of his adoptive mother, but lacking the nostalgia of the original dish.

Nero reached out, but sighed silently upon realizing that he had forgotten to get a drink. Oh well, a meal was a meal.

He took another bite of the Italian dish before reaching out with his free hand and lifting one of the apple slices, eating it in one bite.

It was an enjoyable meal, one that he had normally resorted to when the food in the house hadn't been restocked in a while. Nero had learned the valuable skill of making a meal of the most unorthodox things, such as combining rice with ravioli, which was surprisingly tasty in his opinion.

The sound of footsteps sounded behind the door of the shop, making Nero pause for a moment.

The door opened gently, revealing Dante and Vergil as they walked in from whatever mission that had been called upon to perform. Vergil's coat was slightly stained with blood and Dante's coat had been covered in soot at the back.

Vergil quickly removed his coat, folding it neatly before hanging it on his arm. Dante took off his coat with a flourish, sending some ashes onto the floor. Vergil sent an icy glare towards his twin, who made up for it by taking Vergil's coat and walking towards the door that they had used to enter the Bloody Palace a few hours earlier.

Vergil meanwhile took off his boots and set them neatly by the door before closing said set of doors.

Vergil looked up from the floor, meeting Nero's eyes for the first time since his outburst.

"I see you found the leftovers."

Nero offered an affirmative mumble in response before swallowing his most recent bite. He then proceeded to eat another slice of apple.

"How is it?"

Vergil asked calmly as he walked over to Dante's desk. Nero gave a shrug as he chewed the apple and swallowed. Vergil circled around the desk, taking a look at the pages of debt that had been left to be paid at a later date. Vergil grabbed Dante's chair and decided that this was an appropriate later date.

"It's not as good as it could be, but it's still good."

Nero finally answered. Vergil nodded as he sat down at the desk and took his pen in hand.

"Tell that to the blonde demon when she visits. Perhaps you could be her taste tester."

Nero nodded. He wasn't adversed to the idea, considering how good the spaghetti was at present. He took another bite of the meal as Vergil began to write away at the financial papers once more.

Dante emerged from the room a few minutes later, his and Vergil's coat noticeably absent. He leaned Rebellion against his desk before walking over to a nearby display case. He placed Ebony and Ivory gently in the case before closing the lid.

He turned towards the couch before walking towards it, his gaze locked onto Nero, who continued to eat his dinner.

"Hey kid! Where'd you find the food?"

"Frigerader"

Nero mumbled past the food in his mouth. Vergil lifted his hand without taking his eyes off the papers on the desk.

"The second container is mine, Dante."

Dante sighed. Of course they got to the food before he did. He walked to the kitchen, resigning himself to a night of happy drinking.


End file.
